Kohli's replacement has to be replaced. Sarfaraz vs Patidar; who in place of Jadeja? India's selection conundrums

India are in a bit of a muddle over selection for the second Test after Jadeja and Rahul got ruled out. It will be a toss-up between Sarfaraz and Patidar

Two days after their painful loss in the first Test, by 28 runs, their first-ever in Hyderabad, India find themselves in a bit of a muddle. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and batter KL Rahul have been ruled out of the second Test against England, slated to be held in Visakhapatnam on February 2. Jadeja picked up a hamstring injury, while the latter complained of quadriceps pain. Furthermore, Virat Kohli will not be part of the match either, having informed earlier that he would miss the opening two matches of the five-game series for personal reasons. The forced changes leave captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid scratching their head over four key factors about the playing XI, and they are...

Mumbai's Sarfaraz Khan earned his maiden India call-up on Monday(PTI)

Who will replace Kohli's replacement KL Rahul at No. 4?

It will perhaps be the most decisive factor in the line-up given India will have no other experienced batsman to rely upon after Rohit himself. Moreover, Rahul was one of the three India batters who got an 80-plus score in the opening Test batting at Kohli's No.4 position. Hence, with no other option left, perhaps Shreyas Iyer will be elevated to the role. India would trust the batter to play to his strength against the spinners.

Will Shubman Gill continue?

For a batter who was celebrated as the heir to Kohli and the "next superstar of Indian cricket", following a century spree at the start of 2023, Gill's performance in the red-ball format has come under the scanner. Since his knock of 128 against Australia in March 2023, Gill has gone 11 straight innings with even a fifty, his best score being a 36 against South Africa earlier this month. In the first Test against England in Hyderabad, Gill managed only 23 and 0 in two innings. With India lacking options, Gill will probably have one last go in the Vizag Test. And if he falters, Gill might have to make way for Rahul and Kohli, who will be back for the third match.

Will Sarfaraz Khan make his debut?

BCCI's announcement on Monday ended Sarfaraz's long wait for a maiden India call-up, having constantly knocked the selectors' door over the last few years with consistent domestic performances. More recently, he scored 160 off 161 last week, in an unofficial four-day Test between India A and England Lions, where he was named the Player of the Match. While India would want to tap in on his form, Rajat Patidar is likely to be the first-choice batter, having being added to the squad as Kohli's replacement before the first Test.

However, if India opt to go the England way and pick just one fast bowler, probably rest Mohammed Siraj, who bowled only 11 overs across two innings, then both could make the cut.

Who will replace Ravindra Jadeja?

India's most significant worry for the second Test will be replacing Jadeja. Since 2016, no other all-rounder has averaged over 40 with the bat and under 25 with the ball across 53 matches in Test cricket. Although not a like-for-like replacement, but Kuldeep Yadav could be a straight swap, given he was the spare spinner in the squad. He also has an impressive figure of 34 wickets at 21.55 since his debut in 2017. But adding the chinaman would mean India would head into the second Test with a weak batting line-up. However, it could be an option if Vizag dishes out a rank turner.

However, if India want to keep their batting depth intact, then one between Washington Sundar, who last played a Test match in 2021, or left-armer Saurabh Kumar, who picked up a five-wicket haul and scored 77 batting at No. 8 for India A game against England Lions last week.

The other option would be replacing Siraj with Kuldeep and picking one between Sundar or Saurabh in place of Jadeja.