Cricket News

India undecided on KL Rahul’s replacement; Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma to take a call based on conditions

The highly anticipated second Test between India and England kicks off tomorrow at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. All eyes will be on the home team as they seek to bounce back from their defeat in Hyderabad and level the series. Cricket fans, pundits, and the media are all waiting with bated breath to see the action unfold in Visakhapatnam. It remains to be seen if Rohit Sharma and his men can rise to the occasion and silence the critics.

India will be missing key players KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja due to injuries but that opens doors for exciting young talents, particularly in the middle-order vacancy left by Rahul. Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan, both domestic standouts, are in contention for a Test debut. Their impressive performances have earned them call-ups, but it remains a suspenseful wait to see who gets to don the Test cap for the first time. This adds an extra layer of intrigue to the already highly anticipated match.

“That decision will be made by Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma”

Batting coach Vikram Rathour admitted a “tough choice” lies ahead regarding the middle-order vacancy, acknowledging the impressive domestic records of both Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan. This cryptic answer adds to the pre-match buzz, leaving fans and experts eagerly anticipating the team announcement and pondering who will get the nod for a potential Test debut.

“It will be a tough choice. What value they bring to the team, of course, is that they are superb players. We have seen how well they have done in domestic cricket in the last few years,” he said.

Coach Rathour confirmed that the final decision will rest with head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma after considering the Visakhapatnam conditions and the individual strengths of both Patidar and Khan. “So on these kinds of wickets, I think they can add a lot of value to the team. If we have to pick just one out of them, of course, it would be tough. But, that decision will be made by Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma. The playing XI will be finalized keeping in mind the conditions,” he added.