Umesh or Saini to fill in for pacer; Jadeja likely to replace Ashwin
Christchurch: After conceding a heavy defeat in the first Test in Wellington, team India will look to bounce back and level the two-match series when they take on New Zealand in the second game beginning Saturday. But Ishant Sharma being ruled out of the game is not a news that would be pleasing to skipper Virat Kohli’s ears.
Coming back to the game, the highly rated Indian batting line-up, which boasts of having the likes of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, would want to fire on all cylinders after being caught napping against the pace attack of the Black Caps in Wellington.
It was India’s first loss in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship and even head coach Ravi Shastri acknowledged they needed a “shake-up” to come out of their fixed mindset.
“We were outplayed in the first Test, but I always believe that a shake-up like that is good. It opens your mindset,” Shastri said at the pre-match presser on Friday.
Neil Wagner, who is practitioner of the short-ball tactic, will be joining Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Kyle Jamieson and thus there will be more problems for the Indian batters during the next five days.
At least two changes can be expected in the India playing XI from the last Test with Ravichandran Ashwin likely to lose his spot to Ravindra Jadeja and either of Umesh Yadav or Navdeep Saini coming in for veteran Ishant Sharma whose right ankle injury has resurfaced.
In Ishant’s absence, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami would have to make sure they come out with a much-improved performance and leave behind their underwhelming show at the Basin Reserve.
For the Kane Williamson -led Black Caps, it would be all about continuing with what they have been doing since the ODI series. (IANS)
