 "Indian players practicing ahead of the 2nd Test against England. Image: AP")
India are likely to make a few big changes to their playing XI for the second Test against England at Edgbaston. The match is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, 2 July, and India still haven’t revealed their combination for the game. However, one thing is sure that India are going to bring in fresh faces and exclude some from the previous Test.
Nitish Reddy set to replace Shardul Thakur?
As per reports_,_ one of the major changes could be in the all-rounder department, with young Nitish Kumar Reddy expected to replace Shardul Thakur in the side. Shardul had a quiet outing in the first Test at Headingley, and team management may give a chance to Nitish, who can offer more power with the bat. India suffered due to a lack of contribution from the lower-order batting in Leeds.
According to The Indian Express, Reddy was seen practicing slip catching alongside Karun Nair, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill. Shardul also didn’t practice much in the nets on Monday, which could be a sign that Reddy may finally get a chance in England. Reddy was brilliant in his debut Test series in Australia, where he played all five matches and scored 298 runs, including a century. He also picked up 5 wickets.
Jasprit Bumrah expected to be rested
Another big update is about Jasprit Bumrah . He is likely to be rested for the second Test to manage his workload. In his absence, either Arshdeep Singh or Akashdeep Singh could get a chance to play. Both fast bowlers have been travelling with the team and were seen practicing hard in the nets before the match. It was known from before that Bumrah will play just three matches in this series.
India are also looking at the spin combination. Ravindra Jadeja is almost certain to play, and he might be joined by either Washington Sundar or Kuldeep Yadav . India’s assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate praised Sundar’s batting during a press conference on Monday but did not confirm which spinner will be included. He said that two spinners will definitely play in this match, but the team is still finalising the combination.
England announce unchanged playing XI
India are currently 0-1 down in the five-match series and will be looking to bounce back strongly in the second Test. The final playing XI is expected to be announced at the toss by Shubman Gill. Meanwhile, England have already unveiled their playing XI and have kept it unchanged.
England’s playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (Captain), Jamie Smith (Wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir