In the second and penultimate Test of the series, India will welcome New Zealand to the MCA Stadium in Pune, which hosts this contest from Thursday (Oct 24). Rohit Sharma-led hosts, who suffered an eight-wicket defeat in the series opener, are left desperate to level the proceedings.
All the attention in the second-last match goes to India’s playing XI as Shubman Gill has recovered, but it would be interesting if Akash Deep replaced Mohammed Siraj.
Apart from that, Rishabh Pant also complained of knee issues in the Bengaluru Test, and Gambhir confirmed that he is “absolutely fit” to play and would keep wickets for himself in Pune.
During the pre-match press conference, Gambhir said, “He’s fine, he’ll keep wickets tomorrow.”
This thus puts all such speculations regarding Pant’s injury concerns to rest, especially after his knee was hit in the same area in Bengaluru, where he had previously undergone surgery after the horrific car crash.
Thus, the home team played cautiously in the series opener and saw Dhruv Jurel keep wickets as India failed to defend their lead of 107 runs in the final innings.
Seeing India’s team combination for the Pune Test will be interesting. Many expect Akash Deep to replace him with Siraj, not looking into his elements in the series opener.
Gill, who missed the series opener due to a stiff neck, is fit to play, and it remains to be seen if he will replace Sarfaraz Khan, who scored a majestic 150 in India’s second essay in Bengaluru. Sarfaraz wasn’t scheduled to play the three-match Test series opener but gets a chance at Gill’s expense.
KL Rahul, who bats at No. 6, is also under the scanner. The right-hander can also be dropped after a failed stint in the Bengaluru Test, but the team management will likely support him. Thus, Gill is likely to replace Sarfaraz.
