"Siraj might come in place of Ishant" - Deep Dasgupta anticipates a change in the seam attack in 2nd India-New Zealand Test 

Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta feels there is a very good chance that Mohammad Siraj will replace Ishant Sharma in the second Test.

The 33-year-old bowled only 20 overs across both innings in Kanpur and went wicket-less on a surface that did not offer much pace and bounce.

Mohammad Siraj was part of the T20I squad that competed against New Zealand in the T20I series. He had to make way for Harshal Patel after the first T20I following an injury to his finger.

Dasgupta revealed that he saw Siraj bowling on the ground, leading him to believe in the increased chances of his selection for the final match of the tour. While hosting a Q & A session on his YouTube channel, Dasgupta said:

"I saw him bowl just a while ago on the ground, bowling was not an issue anyway. I think his non-bowling arm was injured and had stitches. So, there is a good chance that Siraj is fit. If that is the case, then Siraj might come in place of Ishant."

The red soil wicket on Wankhede offers a lot more help for seam bowlers through better pace and carry. Mohammad Siraj's express pace and ability to skid the ball off the surface will come in handy on such a surface.

Mayank Agarwal can be considered at No. 3: Dasgupta

Dasgupta noted that India have several middle-order batters on the sidelines across all formats, given that the department has been an area of concern for a while now.

He feels that a No. 3 batter should be able to play seam and spin with equal efficiency and listed Mayank Agarwal and Ruturaj Gaikwad as potential candidates in the near future. Dasgupta added:

"In the middle order, there are several players in the pipeline. There is Shreyas Iyer, then Shubman Gill, who I feel is more suited to the middle order in red-ball cricket. Them there's Hanuma Vihari.

"Another option is one of the openers playing at No.3. Mayank Agarwal plays spin well, he can be considered at No.3. You need someone at No.3 who can play seam and spin well. No.3 becomes trickier than No.5 at this point. Even Ruturaj as well."

Mayank Agarwal returned to the fray after missing out on the England tour due to a concussion and then KL Rahul's sensational form at the top. He did not have an eventful set of outings in the first Test after being dismissed to seam across both innings.