Veteran England pacer James Anderson is likely to return to the playing XI for the second Test of the ongoing five-match series against India. James Anderson had missed the series opener in Hyderabad, despite his familiarity with the conditions in the subcontinent.
The visitors opted for a strategy with three spinners and one pacer in the playing XI for the first Test. Mark Wood was preferred over James Anderson as the lone pacer in the attack. The team management might rest Wood for the next match to manage his workload.
Anderson boasts an impressive track record in India, securing 34 wickets in 13 Tests at an average below 30. He was instrumental in the team’s last Test series victory in India in 2012. The 41-year-old pacer claimed 12 wickets in the 2-1 triumph over MS Dhoni’s team.
Wicket Looks A Bit Better To Seam – Zak Crawley
During a media interaction, England opener Zak Crawley stated that the Visakhapatnam pitch might offer assistance to seam bowlers. However, Crawley admitted he hadn’t personally seen the pitch but relied on feedback.
“So, this wicket looks a bit better to seam, according to the guys, I haven’t seen it, like I said, but that’s what they said. It’s just a bit damper, I think here it seems like they’re a bit greener, so we’ll see what happens there,” Crawley told reporters.
Mark Wood remained without a wicket in the match, with English spinners picking all wickets in the first game. Wood bowled 17 overs and eight overs in the two innings, respectively. In contrast, Jasprit Bumrah claimed six wickets on the spin-friendly track.
Earlier this week, England coach Brendon McCullum indicated the team’s readiness to field all available spinners. However, Jack Leach has been ruled out of the Visakhapatnam Test. Young spinner Shoaib Bashir might replace Leach in the playing XI for the next match.
We Haven’t Spoken About That – Zak Crawley
Zak Crawley stated that the England team hasn’t discussed the injury concerns in the Indian camp. He emphasized focusing on their strengths and strategies rather than being overly concerned about the opposition’s situation.
The Rohit Sharma-led side will be without KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja in the upcoming red-ball encounter. Rahul and Jadeja have been ruled out of the match due to their respective injuries. It is worth mentioning that Virat Kohli remains unavailable for selection.
The Indian team, trailing 0-1, will have to make two forced changes to their playing XI for the second Test, which will be played at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, starting on Friday, February 2.
Also read: Nasser Hussain slams England for toying with James Anderson’s career
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