After a humiliating defeat in the first test, team India is all set to drop opener Shikhar Dhawan and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha from the playing eleven. KL Rahul will take up the place of Shikhar Dhawan and Parthiv Patel will get a game ahead of Saha in the second test that begins today at the Centurion.
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Shikhar Dhawan and Wriddhiman Saha were miserable with the bat in the first test and hence it was largely being speculated that both of them might not find a place in the playing XI for the second test. According to the PTI, the team will not feature Dhawan and Saha.
However, the inclusion of Ajinkya Rahane looks highly unlikely as Rohit Sharma may get another chance ahead of Rahane. What is certain as of now is the fact that KL Rahul and Parthiv Patel will find a place in the playing XI.
ISHANT INSTEAD OF BHUVI?
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The wicket in Centurion will have a lot more movement, pace and bounce than the one at Newlands. The Centurion wicket will not have much to offer to the swing bowlers and perhaps Ishant Sharma would find a place in the playing XI ahead of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
This swap is yet not confirmed while the above mentioned two changes are very certain as per reports.
India has no option left but to bounce back in the series by winning the second test in order to keep its hopes of winning the series alive. But it would not at all be easy for Virat Kohli and his men as the Centurion wicket is going to be tougher than the Cape Town one and more challenging.
Image Source: Times Of India
India batsmen will have to make sure that they don’t throw away their wickets like they did in the first game. The first test saw India lose only because of the courtesy of batsmen who could not capitalise the fair chance produced by the bowlers to start the tour on a winning note.
