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India's predicted XI vs New Zealand, 2nd Test: Pujara, Rahane or Mayank - Who makes way for Virat Kohli?
India's predicted XI vs New Zealand, 2nd Test: Virat Kohli, who had taken a break from the first Test in Kanpur, will not just return for the Mumbai game, but has to decide who will make way for him in the XI.
India's predicted XI vs New Zealand, 2nd Test: An immensely tricky situation awaits Team India with the management needing to make a tough call in framing their playing XI for the second Test, in Mumbai, which begins from December 3. Virat Kohli, who had taken a break from the first Test in Kanpur, will not just return for the Mumbai game, but has to decide who will make way for him in the XI. Will it be Shreyas Iyer, who replaced him in the opener and scored 105 and 65 on debut? Or, will it one between the senior batters in Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane - who have combined to average only 27.3 in the last two years? Or, will it be opener Mayank Agarwal, who has scored only 210 runs in the last two years at just 17.50?
In this piece we take a look at India's Predicted XI for the 2nd Test against New Zealand:
Shubman Gill: Although he has shown signs of a technical flaw in his game against seamers especially with those deliveries on good length, which caused his dismissals in both the innings in Kanpur, a gritty 52 off 93 in the first innings will hand him the opportunity for the second Test in Mumbai. He managed to score only 1 off 3 in the second innings.
Follow LIVE blog here: India vs New Zealand Live Cricket Score, 2nd Test, Day 1
KS Bharat: If Mayank missed out, veteran cricketer Wasim Jaffer had opined that India can open with Wriddhiman Saha. But besides the veteran wicketkeeper's struggle with stiff neck in the Kanpur game, he has never batted above No.5 in Tests, let alone open. On the other hand, India might opt for Bharat and replace him with Mayank at the top. He has in fact opened in first-class games in 77 of his 123 innings and had scored a triple ton.
Cheteshwar Pujara: The veteran batsman is yet to score a century in Tests since that sensational 2018/19 tour of Australia. In 16 Tests since the series, he has scored 692 runs in 24.71 Tests. However, there have been a few odd innings where he has managed to prove critics wrong and hence Dravid and Kohli might want to give him another try.
Virat Kohli: It's a no-brainer. However, it's been 56 innings across formats when Kohli last scored his international century. Moreover, he has averaged only 26.80 in 12 Tests since 2020, which is only better than Rahane's 24.39 and Roston Chase's 16 among batters (No.1-7) who have played at least 10 Tests in the period.
Ajinkya Rahane: Despite the aforementioned numbers, Dravid feels that "it's just a matter of an innings, a matter of a game where he can turn it around." And hence, India might want to retain him.
Shreyas Iyer: With a record-scripting feat - the first Indian ever to score a century and half-century on debut - it is always impossible to leave him out. However, if India retain Rahane and Pujara, he might have to bat at No.6 in Mumbai.
R Ashwin: The veteran will be an automatic choice for the second Test, having picked six wickets in the opener.
Axar Patel: And so will be Axar, who had picked his fifth five-wicket haul in just is fourth-Test appearance, all in 2021.
Ravindra Jadeja: India will stick to their three-spinners strategy in Mumbai as well and Jadeja's selection will give them a batting depth as well.
Umesh Yadav: Although it was the spinners who starred for India in both the innings, he picked a wicket each, which included that wonderful set-up for Will Somerville.
Ishant Sharma: He was the only bowler to go wicketless in the Kanpur game wbhich has resulted in few admitting that he might be rested to make way for Mohammed Siraj. But the management might give him another opportunity.
IND Predicted XI vs NZ, 2nd Test: Shubman Gill, KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma
India’s Test squad vs NZ: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Md. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
