India vs England 2016: India's predicted XI for the second Test

The Indian Test juggernaut, rolling on the back of a Kiwi whitewash, was halted by a dogged English display in the first Test at Rajkot. The pitch confounded many, including the Team India captain, who was “surprised to see so much grass on the Rajkot pitch”.

India will look for a fresh beginning at Visakhapatnam after England’s dogged batting performance left the hosts’ bowlers red-faced. The poor fielding only made matters worse. The English batsmen, including youngsters like Haseeb Hameed, helped themselves to a huge total on a pitch that was a far cry from might have qualified as “home-advantageous”. It was a strong statement from the tourists after a poor showing against Bangladesh last month.

Here’s our predicted Indian XI for the second Test against England:

#1 Murali Vijay

Back in the team after recovering from a thumb injury that slid him down the pecking order, Vijay is ready to open the innings. A century in the first Test at Rajkot would have surely been a morale-boosting knock for Vijay, who averages 43 after returning back from injury. His 126, along with Cheteshwar Pujara’s century, provided the hosts a strong response to the English total in the first innings.

#2 KL Rahul

“Rahul is our number one opener along with Murali Vijay”. Virat Kohli didn’t mince his words when discussing the opening combination for the second Test. As harsh as it might be for Gautam Gambhir, KL Rahul is set to be in the playing XI, taking his place back from the KKR skipper after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Having proven his fitness and form with a 76 and 106 against Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy, Rahul was included in the squad ahead of the Vizag Test.

#3 Cheteshwar Pujara

Playing a Test at his home-town for the first time, ‘Gujarat no chokro’ Cheteshwar Pujara set Rajkot alight with a well-compiled century, a 124 that formed the crux of India’s first innings total along with Vijay’s century.

His place in the team was under question after a poor run of form earlier this year, considering his standards in the whites. He’s now back in his groove, churning out big scores with fluency in his batting.

#4 Virat Kohli

The Indian captain played a dogged innings in the closing stages of the first Test, holding fort from one end to ensure that the batting line-up doesn’t crumble like the fifth-day pitch at Rajkot. He has crafted his game marvellously, changing gears with minimal fuss to show the way to the other batsmen.

He’s set to play his 50th Test, a small milestone in what promises to be a great career in the white clothing. Yet, the team will need to make sure that they aren’t over-dependent on their No.4.

#5 Ajinkya Rahane

A poor showing with the bat led to a slide of four positions in the latest Test rankings for Rahane, who will be itching to get going ever since having scored a 188 against the Kiwis in the final Test of the previous series.

Still part of the top-10 in the rankings, the vice-captain will have to shoulder the responsibility of anchoring the middle order, especially with the changing top order making the line-up prone to disintegrating. He might not be a star in limited overs cricket, but there is no denying the fact that he is one of the most reliable as far as Tests are concerned.

#6 Ravichandran Ashwin

For Ashwin the batsman, the last few months have been very fruitful, so much so that he now comes in to bat ahead of Wriddhiman Saha and Ravindra Jadeja. He had been in sublime form with the ball against the Kiwis, but fell flat in the first Test, coming up with one of his worst performances on Indian soil.

He’ll need to re-tie his laces and find back his form, for the Indian team desperately needs a leader to buck up and break into the English wall.

#7 Wriddhiman Saha

Team India’s stumper had a torrid outing in the first Test, both behind and in front of the stumps. He dropped a couple of regulation catches, allowing Ben Stokes to bury the ignominy of his triple failure against India and score a century. It also gave the England batsmen leeway to get off the hook and score big against the hosts.

In the second innings, he tried to go for an expansive stroke when the need of the hour demanded him to survive in the middle for as long as possible. Was it not for Ravindra Jadeja’s useful innings, the Indian team might well have fallen off the cliff.

#8 Ravindra Jadeja

He might not be breaking doors, but Jadeja’s role in the Indian Test team cannot be undermined. He could salvage only three wickets in the Rajkot Test, but gave Kohli much-needed company in the dying stages of the fifth day with an entertaining knock that arrested the hosts’ slide.

He can challenge the English right-handers with his pin-point accuracy and faster deliveries, but will need to bring his A-game to the fore if he intends to better his Rajkot outing.

#9 Amit Mishra

It has been a roller-coaster of a fortnight for Mishra. Garnering praise for his stupendous performance in the final ODI against the Kiwis with his ‘five-for’, Mishra had a pretty poor outing with the red cherry, failing to stop the run flow and managing to capture a solitary wicket.

He returns to the ground where he helped seal a whitewash against the Kiwis. If he is able to get out of his rut, it’ll help take some of the pressure off Ashwin.

#10 Mohammad Shami

Indian fans would surely have been concerned when Shami hobbled off the field at the end of the first day, sending fears of another possible addition to the dreaded injury list.Sanjay Bangar was quick to clarify that Shami had just been suffering from cramps, and was fit to carry on.

Umesh Yadav’s dubious form, coupled with the unavailability of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, has put more stress on Shami to get the initial breakthroughs. The spin-battery’s hurtling form hasn’t helped one bit. Shami’s reverse-swinging abilities can surely be the saviour.

#11 Ishant Sharma

India’s most experienced pacer is expected to get a look-in, more so with Kohli stating that there will be a few surprise inclusions in the team. Ishant’s track record against the English team has been inspiring, with the highlight being his match-winning performance at Lord’s in 2014.

With Umesh Yadav showing little signs of improvement in Tests, Ishant can be a valuable inclusion.