India must make at least two forced substitutions during its first test match without Virat Kohli because KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja are not participating.
Rajat Patidar appears an ideal replacement for Rahul with his 45.97 batting average coming off of scoring a century against England Lions last week; replacing Jadeja, however,
could prove more complex, not only as an effective bowler but also providing stability in the middle of the field.
India may boast powerful spinners capable of breaking England apart on turners, yet India has chosen this kind of pitch due to inexperience in their batting lineup. R Ashwin, who batted at number eight in Hyderabad, holds the second-highest total runs scored during a test match after Rohit Sharma.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer form their top order, having played only 39 tests so far and amassing 2,229 runs. Additionally, when it comes to turning pitches, they have yet to feel comfortable, compounding their troubles further.
Furthermore, each Test match hosted has produced high-quality bat and ball battles – an impressive feat! Pacers were kept in play throughout South Africa’s most recent test match against India over five days due to its hard outfield and undulating surface,leading them to perform as pacers rather than spinners on the final day of a match involving Mohammed Shami reverse swinging on last day causing more damage than spinners could do with just one pacer in play; therefore playing just one pacer may pose risks and require careful consideration when picking players for your batting team.
Due to India’s first test match being played on a flat deck and lasting five days in Chennai, which resulted in their inability to win, they switched tactics by opting for playing on turning pitches for the subsequent three matches, all completed within less than three days with Ahmedabad being one exception; all four in all lasting less than two days overall.
As a result of these three victories against turning pitches, India decided instead for more traditional Indian tracks with slower turns for now but will assess this decision post-Vizag Test match.
Due to Visakhapatnam being located along the coastal stretch and temperatures higher than Hyderabad, much of the day was dedicated to covering the pitch with grass. After which, water sprinkling was applied before using a heavy roller. This surface appears brown, with thin strips of grass in certain spots; this should not significantly impact gameplay.
Watering it two days before testing should help minimize crumbling, leading to less abrupt turns on test day. Because, like much of the country, this one boasts black soil surface conditions, it can be challenging to make accurate predictions.
Vikram Rathour, India’s batting coach, noted the 22-yard strip shortly after arriving for their inaugural practice session and assessed: “It will turn over time; maybe not on day one, but eventually it will turn shorten.
Since England had to resort to rank turners when leading by one test during their 2021 tour, all eyes are focused on how India will react in this match.
Unfortunately, all signs point towards Visakhapatnam being yet another slow turner pitch as soon as the second test begins on Friday; all indications suggest this being similar to Hyderabad, where both matches began; had one of these tests started earlier, the fate might have been different!
Due to Jack Leach’s absence in England’s second test match, their composition remains uncertain. James Anderson put considerable work at practice nets on Wednesday, and all indications indicate he is performing.
If off-spinner Shoaib Bashir makes the eleven, they could get by with Axar Patel being their sole left-handed pitcher (he was explicitly promoted against Tom Hartley in the fourth inning, and it proved successful); otherwise, Patidar is expected to make his debut provided they don’t deem there is need for another left-handed batsman.
Which candidate do you support: Washington or Kuldeep?
At first sight, Rahul Dravid could be seen looking for Washington immediately following the start of the net session; it became evident that Washington remained part of their plans. Once they arrived a few moments later, Washington took to the nets immediately and scored runs quickly – just as was done during the previous series against England, which Jadeja did not play in.
Washington had also been chosen ahead of Kuldeep for three tests out of four attempted matches during Washington’s final innings against England (in which no defeat occurred)! Washington went unbeaten, scoring 96 runs without suffering a single defeat while scoring at least.
However, his chances of surpassing Kuldeep as a spinner seem remote due to Chinaman’s success with variations when the ball turns slowly. Rohit Sharma, captain of India’s test team, stated prior to their first test match that while Kuldeep enticed him with what he could offer, they both batted deeply, so they ultimately chose Axar Patel due to depth in their batting department. Given India’s worsening batting issues, whether more players or expert management are required remains to be seen.
