According to the law of holes, if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. Claiming that the Indian cricket team are currently in a ‘hole’ after only one defeat – in the first of the ongoing five-match Test series against England – might attract allegations of exaggeration.
But when you add to it India’s absentees – Ravindra Jadeja, world number one Test all-rounder; Virat Kohli, India’s number one Test batter; and KL Rahul, among India’s more consistent run-scorers of late – what seemed to be a minuscule perforation, now appears to be a menacing crater.
To contextualise India’s predicament – excluding skipper Rohit Sharma, the number of Test centuries scored by the entire squad (9) is fewer than the number of words in Visakhapatnam’s stadium (13) – Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy Andhra Cricket Association-Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association Cricket Stadium.
The task now is to find a way out of the metaphorical ‘hole,’ by not stopping digging, but digging deep to find the kryptonite of Bazball. Before they embark on the mission, we take a look at the major talking points ahead of the game:
1. Patidar Hour Might Be Upon Us
Amid the struggles of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, a section of Indian cricket loyalists advocated for Rajat Patidar’s inclusion in the playing XI for the first Test.
Whilst that proposition did not come to fruition, Patidar now looks certain to be handed his debut international cap in KL Rahul’s absence, which will make him India’s fourth oldest Test debutant – at the age of 30 years and 246 days.
Fans of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will associate Patidar with his explosive batting for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), albeit those keeping a keen eye on India’s domestic circuit will be aware of the pivotal role he plays in the Madhya Pradesh Ranji Trophy team.
When the team won their first-ever Ranji Trophy title in 69 years, back in 2022, Patidar was Madhya Pradesh’s leading run-scorer, with 658 runs at an average of 82.25.
Recently, he was nearly unblemished in the two unofficial Test matches against England Lions, scoring 111 runs in the first match, and 155 in the second. The batter scored centuries on both times of asking.
2. Will Sarfaraz Khan Find a Place, Too?
Whilst the inclusion of one debutant in India’s playing XI for the second Test is all but certain, the possibility of another is looming large on the horizon. Sarfaraz Khan, after scoring innumerable runs in domestic cricket since his return to Mumbai in 2018, has been handed his maiden call-up – nine years after setting the IPL stage ablaze as a 17-year-old.
For Sarfaraz Khan to play, the Indian team management will have to make difficult calls.
(Photo: PTI)
For Sarfaraz to play, however, India will have to drop either of Gill and Iyer. The pair might not have been stellar with the bat in red-ball cricket recently, but seniority advantage could weigh in their favour.
Alternatively, should another avenue be explored, India could make room for Sarfaraz at the expense of a bowler – subsequently fielding only four bowlers. But considering the unpredictability associated with English batting, it might be a decision too precarious for Dravid’s liking.
3. Who Will Replace Ravindra Jadeja?
With both Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan being in impressive form, KL Rahul’s absence might not be too significant a worry for the Indian team in this fixture. The scenario, although, is considerably contrasting in the case of Ravindra Jadeja, with the hosts lacking a perfect replacement.
The nearest ‘like-for-like’ option, who could be efficacious in every department, is Washington Sundar. Except that his numbers with the ball in Test cricket – six wickets in four matches, and only two in his last three Tests – might not inspire confidence. His only Ranji Trophy match of the ongoing season saw him scoring 7 runs across two innings.
Leading this particular race from Sundar is Kuldeep Yadav, who might not have played a Test match in the last fourteen months, but has been a reliable figure in India’s white-ball team, having scalped seven wickets in the two ODIs and a T20I he played against South Africa in December 2023. He, too, has played a Ranji Trophy match this season, picking up four wickets at an average of 21.75.
For his form in white-ball cricket, Kuldeep Yadav could find a place in India's playing XI.
(Photo: BCCI)
4. Will the Visakhapatnam Track Be a Rank-Turner?
From the Bangalore Test in March 2017 to the February 2021 Test against England, India playing on a ‘rank-turner’ – surface tailor-made for the tweakers – just after a Test defeat is not a rare sight. The trend was even acknowledged by England's coach, Brendon McCullum, who once entertained the idea of fielding all four of their spinners before ultimately opting for the come-rain-or-shine James Anderson.
This leads to the question – will the track in Visakhapatnam actually turn from Day 1, leaving those with tickets for the last two days potentially disappointed?
The track in Visakhapatnam has never been a 'rank-turner.'
(Photo: PTI)
Should we refer to previous records, it seems unlikely. In the two Tests played on this ground, a total of 2519 runs have been scored at the loss of 71 wickets, with the runs per wicket ratio being 35.47 – a figure more than decent for an Indian venue. The most recent international fixture at this venue – a T20I fixture between India and Australia in November 2023 – saw 417 runs being scored in 39.5 overs.
5. What To Expect From England?
Some sweep shots. Some switch sweeps. Some reverse sweeps. And, ultimately, more sweep shots.
Basically, India can brace themselves for another display of 'Bazball' – should it seem to be a phenomenon too vague, the official Collins dictionary describes it as “A Test cricket style characterized by an assertive and aggressive batting approach.”
As for their bowling, the focus will be on two players – Shoaib Bashir, about whom not many know about except that he ran into Visa troubles; and James Anderson, about whom not many are unaware of.
Ben Stokes will be reliant on the 41-year-old James Anderson, having selected him as the only specialist seamer.
(Photo: BCCI)
The former is a 20-year-old off-spinner with roots in Pakistan, having picked up 10 wickets in six first-class matches for Somerset. The latter, who had already played seven Test matches before Shoaib was born, will be playing his first Test in India since February 2021. In his last expedition, he had scalped five wickets in a Test in Chennai, propelling England to a 227-run triumph.
England’s Playing XI for Second Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (Captain), Ben Foakes (Wicketkeeper), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson.
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