3 reasons why India should go in with 4 spinners for the 2nd Test vs Australia

Team India are gearing up for the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, to be played in Delhi from Friday, February 17.

Rohit Sharma and Co. picked up a convincing win over Australia in the series opener, with the margin reading a whopping innings and 132 runs. The visitors have been hit by a wave of despondence of late, particularly by their own media, and find themselves with an immense task ahead of them.

The pitch in Nagpur wasn't as much of a turner as was initially predicted, but Delhi could produce a low and slow surface as it usually does. It might be in the hosts' best interests to sacrifice a fast bowler and include an additional spinner.

Here are three reasons why India should go in with four spinners for the second Test against Australia.

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#3 Kuldeep Yadav has been in good form of late

Kuldeep Yadav could prove to be a shrewd addition to the Indian XI for the Delhi Test

Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel were part of India's playing XI for the first Test against Australia, and their place in the side is unquestionable. Mohammed Siraj and Mohammad Shami were the fast bowlers, and all five bowlers put up impressive showings in Nagpur.

Kuldeep Yadav is the only spin option on the bench and will be the man to be included in the side if India decide to field four spinners. The Chinaman bowler has been in good form of late across formats and seems to be at the top of his game right now.

Kuldeep came up with a Player of the Match display in the Test series against Bangladesh and has a promising record against Australia in the longest format of the game. It wouldn't be far-fetched to claim that he could be a genuine match-winner if included in the playing XI.

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#2 Australia have struggled against spin

Australia will need David Warner and their other batters to put up a better performance

Australia have clear frailties against the spinners, and India might want to attack that weakness at both ends at all times.

David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Matt Renshaw and Travis Head are all excellent players of fast bowling, but their game against spin is under the spotlight. Peter Handscomb is probably one of the visitors' best players of spin, but he too is far from a reliable option.

Alex Carey, meanwhile, has adopted a maverick approach against spin that might not be successful in the long run.

Barring Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, Australia's batters don't inspire much confidence against spin, particularly bowlers as deceptive as Kuldeep. He could turn the ball away from the Aussie left-handers and prey on their shortcomings along with the pre-existing trio.

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#1 The Delhi surface is bound to turn

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 5

The Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi has always been known for producing low and slow surfaces that help spinners.

In Test cricket, the average fourth-innings total is a meager 165, a clear indication that the pitch deteriorates rapidly. Spinners are bound to have a field day in Delhi and might be more effective than the pacers right from the first session.

This is a call that can only be taken once the pitch's final form is revealed, but early signs indicate that Ashwin and Co. will be in play right from ball one. What better way to choke the visiting batters than fielding an extra spinner?