Ravi Shastri, former India's head coach, expressed his dissatisfaction with the Indian team management's decision to pick Mukesh Kumar over Washington Sundar in India's playing XI for the second Test against England at Vishakhapatnam's ACA-VDCA stadium on February 2, Friday.
Shastri believes that all-rounder Washington Sundar, who was included in India's squad for the second Test against England along with Sarfaraz Khan and Sourabh Kumar, would have been a more suitable selection than Mukesh Kumar. He argues that the pitch and conditions in Vizag favor spinners and suggests that India's choice might lead to negative consequences.
Washington Sundar was added to the team as a direct replacement for the experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who sustained a Grade 1 hamstring injury on the fourth day of the 1st Test in Hyderabad. According to Shastri, this move could have extended India's batting lineup, similar to what was seen in the series opener.
In the 1st Test, India's batting lineup extended to number 9, but in the second match, it only stretches to number 8. Mukesh Kumar was selected in place of Mohammed Siraj, Rajat Patidar replaced KL Rahul, and Kuldeep Yadav was chosen as the substitute for Jadeja.
While Shastri did not critique the inclusion of Patidar or Kuldeep Yadav heavily, he has expressed perplexity over the decision to prioritize Mukesh Kumar over Sundar. The 61-year-old openly questioned the rationale behind Kumar's selection, especially after Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to have England bowl first.
“My only concern is picking Mukesh Kumar over Washington Sundar. How much of use will Mukesh be, especially after India is batting first on this Vizag surface,” Ravi Shastri said, as quoted by CricketAddictor.
The match in Vizag is unfolding on a pitch that presents yet another tough challenge for India, offering respectable bounce and minimal swing, yet proving quite supportive for spin bowlers. The initial session saw a balanced competition between the two teams, with India reaching the 100-run mark, while England managed to dismiss captain Rohit Sharma and number 3 batsman Shubman Gill.
England's 20-year-old debutant off-spinner, Shoaib Bashir, claimed the first wicket by setting up Rohit Sharma, who was caught by Ollie Pope at leg slip. Sharma's dismissal came from a seemingly casual shot, with Bashir skillfully spinning the ball from the middle-stump line.
Following Sharma, the seasoned James Anderson, in his 22nd season for England, secured the wicket of India's young talent Shubman Gill for 34. Gill, mirroring Sharma's mistake, chose a poor shot that led to an edge caught by wicket-keeper Ben Foakes off an outside off delivery.
While fast bowlers haven't found much assistance on this pitch, Ben Stokes has effectively utilized Anderson. Rehan Ahmed has yet to join the bowling attack, with Joe Root, Shoaib Bashir, and Tom Hartley taking up the spinning responsibilities so far.
India's Playing XI
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav.
England's Playing XI:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes(c), Ben Foakes(w), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson.
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