India, facing pressure and resource constraints, need to devise creative strategies to tackle England's fearless 'Bazballers' in the upcoming second Test in Visakhapatnam starting on February 2.
While India usually dominate at home, their recent loss in Hyderabad has led to introspection, especially with the absence of injured players Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul, making their challenge more difficult.
Three years ago, India, the formidable hosts, faced a similar situation after losing the opening Test to England in Chennai but managed to bounce back and win the series.
However, the Joe Root-led side was a different breed back then, and this time India aim to counterattack against a team that has revolutionised Test cricket and defied all odds to win the series opener after trailing by 190 runs on a turning pitch.
England's batters, spearheaded by Ollie Pope, utilised sweeping and reverse sweeping techniques effectively in the first Test, catching Rohit and his team off guard, while making the formidable spin trio of India appear ordinary.
In this game, India won't have the luxury of including Jadeja, but Ashwin, just four wickets away from the 500-wicket milestone in Tests, and Axar will need to revise their strategies to retaliate strongly against their highly aggressive opponents, who are likely to continue employing sweeping tactics regardless of the conditions.
“It's important that we respond and come up with some plans and some strategies and see how we can make him play those shots from probably even more difficult lengths and be even more disciplined and even more meticulous with our execution,” India head coach Rahul Dravid had said after the 28-run defeat last week.
“I thought a little bit of our execution went off. Not by much. Credit to him (Ollie Pope), but we were a little bit off and, hopefully, in the next Test match, if we get our execution right, then I hope he makes a mistake,” he added.
Kuldeep Yadav is expected to fill in for Jadeja's absence, and it remains to be seen whether India opt for only one pacer in Jasprit Bumrah and includes another spinner, possibly off-spinning all-rounder Washington Sundar.
Uncapped left-arm spinner Sourabh Kumar has also been added to the squad. India's spinners faced a tough challenge against ‘Bazball’, and their batters struggled on turning tracks, highlighted by left-arm spinner Tom Hartley's remarkable debut performance. Rohit Sharma appeared the most assured among the frontline batters in the second innings, while the young brigade, particularly Shubman Gill, faced difficulties playing the turning ball with hard hands.
Gill's defensive approach, despite his breakout performance in the shorter formats in 2023, led to his downfall.
With Virat Kohli expected to return in the third Test, there will be significant pressure on players like Gill and even Shreyas Iyer to perform well in Vizag.
The home team batters are not as adept at playing the sweep as their English counterparts, but they must find a way to match the visitors' high-risk approach.
Rajat Patidar, who was part of the squad in Hyderabad, is likely to replace Rahul.
After scoring consistently in domestic cricket, Sarfaraz Khan has finally earned the selectors' approval and is eager for an India cap. However, the management will carefully assess the conditions before making a final decision on the playing 11.
England, meanwhile, may see a golden opportunity to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, which could put significant pressure on the Indians.
Stokes' strategic use of resources in the opener was exemplary. The decision to give debutant spinner Hartley an extended spell in the first innings, despite Yashasvi Jaiswal's aggressive batting, and learning from the approach of Ashwin and Co. spoke volumes about Stokes' leadership style, as he considers himself a keen observer of the game.
The visitors also face a concern as experienced left-arm spinner Jack Leach has been sidelined from the match due to a knee injury. Young off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has been named as his replacement.
Pacer Mark Wood struggled to leave a mark in Hyderabad, prompting the visitors to replace him with veteran James Anderson. The 41-year-old's precision could prove more effective on a slow, low pitch.
The ACA-VDCA stadium has hosted two Tests so far, with the pitch typically favouring batters in the first innings.
England have set the bar high with a remarkable outcome, leaving India contemplating their pitch strategy to level the playing field.
While opting for an outright turning pitch might seem tempting for the hosts, it could also pose a risk of backfiring.
Squads:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Sourabh Kumar.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by PTI)
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