3 changes India can make in 2nd Test against New Zealand 

On the 24th of October, India and New Zealand will get down to action to play the second Test match. Rohit Sharma and his team will come hard at the opposition after their shocking loss by 8 wickets in Bengaluru. Fans and many cricket experts have slammed the 37-year-old for his captaincy during the opening game of the series. 

Team India made a strong comeback into the game despite being bowled out for 46 in the first innings. Sarfaraz Khan led the charge with the bat scoring an impressive 150 to register his first ton for India. The youngster found good support from Rishabh Pant who scored 99 and Virat Kohli’s 70 in the 2nd essay. 

Washington Sundar has been added to the Indian team for the final two test matches against New Zealand. The 25-year-old has been in good form in recent domestic matches for Tamil Nadu. The move to include Sundar has raised a lot of eyebrows by some of the former cricketers. 

Here are the three likely changes team India could make for the Pune Test:

3- Shubman Gill in for KL Rahul 

Veteran Indian batter KL Rahul had scores of 0 and 12 in the first game in front of his home fans in Bengaluru. Opinions are divided as far as the future of KL Rahul with the Indian team. Shubman Gill had missed the opening Test match owing to niggles which saw Virat Kohli take the number 3 spot in the batting order. 

If Shubman Gill is passed fit then KL Rahul could make way for the 25-year-old to warm the bench in Pune. With the form Sarfaraz Khan is in, one cannot expect the selectors to drop India’s best batter from the opening game. 

2- Washington Sundar in for Kuldeep Yadav 

One of the main reasons why Washington Sundar could have been included is to have another off spin option in the team. New Zealand have three left-handed batters in the top 4 with Tom Latham, Devon Conway, and Rachin Ravindra. 

The form shown by young Ravindra in particular would be cause of concern for the Indian team management. Kuldeep Yadav was decent in the first innings but couldn’t do much with the ball in the 2nd innings while India were defending a measly target of 107 runs. 

1- Akash Deep in for Mohammed Siraj

Team India could opt to go in with 2 pacers just like they had done in the first game in Bengaluru. Mohammed Siraj hasn’t been in the greatest of forms in the recent few Test matches for India. Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir could opt to give Akash Deep a chance for the 2nd Test match on Thursday. 

The 28-year-old was impressive with the ball during the two-match series against Bangladesh. Akash Deep just like Mohammed Shami also has the ability to bowl reverse swing and trouble the batters with the old ball. The right-arm pacer also bowls a nagging line to the left-handed batters as seen during the series against Bangladesh where he troubled the top order with his accuracy. 

Disclaimer: This exclusive news is based on the author’s insights, analysis, and intuition. While reviewing this information, consider the points discussed and form your own conclusions.

For more exclusive updates Visit BJSports to access Exclusive News that is only for you, incisive analysis, and updates, and to keep up with all of the latest information on your remarkable cricket favorite players and teams. To ensure you never miss out, join in on the fun right away!