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Axar Patel fit, Shahbaz Nadeem set to be dropped for second England Test in Chennai - Report
Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem is set to make way for all-rounder Axar Patel in India's playing XI for the second Test against England. Patel has regained his fitness and started training with the squad.
An unexpected 227-run loss to England in the first Test in Chennai will see India make at least one change in their playing XI for the second Test starting on Saturday at the same venue, reported news agency PTI.
According to the report, left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem is set to make way for all-rounder Axar Patel, who has regained his fitness and started training with the squad.
Axar, who was slated to make his Test debut in the first Test, was ruled out with a knee injury, forcing India to make a last-minute change in the XI by bringing in Nadeem, who was there with the squad as a replacement.
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"Axar had a minor knee niggle and has already started batting at the nets. He is expected to start bowling during the next couple of days.
"He was always first choice to play the opening Test but it will depend on skipper Virat Kohli, head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharath Arun," a senior BCCI source told PTI on Wednesday.
Indian captain Virat Kohli didn't hide his disappointment when it came to Nadeem's performance during the post-match presentation where he said that Nadeem and Sundar couldn't keep up the pressure that was created by Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Nadeem had four wickets in all but gave away 233 runs in 59 overs across two innings with an economy rate of close to 4 runs per over. And if that wasn't enough, as a slow bowler, a total of nine balls at the Test match level is considered to be criminal. Nadeem himself admitted that he has had some issues with timing of his jump at the crease and he needs to sort that out in the nets.
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Washington bowled 26 overs for 98 runs in the first innings and got a solitary over in the second innings.
However, Washington, who was impressive with the bat in the first innings, is likely to retain his place in the playing XI.
Interestingly, despite a lot of chatter about the exclusion of Kuldeep Yadav from the first Test, it is unlikely that the left-arm wrist spinner will get a game even in the second Test match.
"Not really, not at all. When you playing two off-spinners, Kuldeep more or less becomes the same kind of spinner taking the ball away. So you need variety in the bowling attack," said Kohli in the virtual press conference.
"We were quite clear on what we wanted to play, what combination we wanted to play. And there are no regrets whatsoever on that decision. Moving forward, we will think of combinations, which brings us variety as a bowling attack. And not one dimensional, turning away from the bat. These things are very important to bat," he added.
(With PTI inputs)
