The second match of the five-Test series between India and England is set to be played at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam from February 2. However both the teams suffered big blows right ahead of the second Test. England will miss the services of Jack Leach, who has been ruled out of the second Test due to knee injury. On the other hand, India team was hit by series of injuries, leading to the exclusion of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul from the second Test, coupled with the already noted absence of batting maestro Virat Kohli. Jadeja and Rahul's exclusions prompted the inclusion of star batter Sarfaraz Khan, left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar, and all-rounder Washington Sundar in India's squad for the second Test in Visakhapatnam.
Notably, India have so far played just two Tests in Visakhapatnam, one against England and the other versus South Africa. Let's now find out how Team India has fared in Tests in Visakhapatnam.
When India rocked England by 246 runs
Talking about the Visakhapatnam venue, the first Test match between India and England was played here in 2016. In that match, the then Indian Test team captain Virat Kohli scored 167 runs in the first innings and Cheteshwar Pujara contributed a 119-run innings, putting England on the back foot. India posted 455 runs in their first innings. Following this, England was bowled out for 255 runs, and then India put up 204 runs in their second innings. This set a target of 405 runs for England, who were then bowled out for 158. Thus, Team India registered a significant victory by 246 runs.
Virat Kohli's 167-run knock was coupled with a crucial 81 in the second innings amidst challenging spin conditions against England. Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin also played a key role in India's Test triumph against England. The ace spinner took five wickets in the first innings, contributing to India's substantial lead, and added three more wickets in the second innings, aiding India in securing a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
India crushed South Africa by 203 runs
In another Test encounter against South Africa in 2019, Team India declared their first innings at 502/7, thanks to opener Mayank Agarwal's double century (215) and Rohit Sharma's 176. South Africa managed to score 431 runs in response. However, in their second innings, India, bolstered by Rohit Sharma's second century (127), set a target of 395 runs, scoring 323 for 4. In reply, the South African team was bundled out for 191, leading to a 203-run defeat. With this victory, the Indian Test team remains undefeated on this ground and will aim to maintain this dominance in the upcoming second Test match against England.
Coming back to the ongoing five-match Test series between India and England, Rohit Sharma's brigade suffered a shock 28-run defeat at the hands of Ben Stokes' army in the opening encounter in Hyderabad. India will look to bounce back in the second Test with a comeback victory against Ben Stokes.
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