In the second Test match against South Africa, India captain Shubman Gill is expected to be replaced by Sai Sudharsan. Spinner Axar Patel and medium-pace all-rounder Nitish Reddy will compete for the other spot in the playing eleven for the match, which begins on Saturday in Guwahati.
Rishabh Pant is expected to become India’s 38th Test captain, despite the Indian team management is keeping it under wraps.
This raises the issue of potential modifications to the Indian playing eleven on a track that may be marginally superior to the Eden strip at Barsapara Stadium.
It’s unclear if the two BCCI curators, Ashish Bhowmick and Taposh Chatterjee, would shave off the top grass and whether they will employ scrubbers once more, which might cause the top soil to loosen up and provide inconsistent bounce.
When it comes to Gill’s replacement, Sudharsan, who has previously participated in five Test matches but has little to show for his efforts, appears to be the best option among the reserved. Given that both Padikkal and Sudharsan are left-handers, there isn’t much of a talent difference between them.
The No. 3 position, where Sudharsan batted in previous games, will be one of the intriguing features. But Washington, who has more experience, performed rather well in both innings. Sudharsan can then bat at No. 6, giving Washington time to get used to his new role.
Playing four spinners is a luxury, and on demonic surfaces, one will undoubtedly be underbowled. This is the second piece of the jigsaw puzzle. Despite his strong batting performance in the second innings in Kolkata, Axar Patel is far behind Kuldeep Yadav in terms of spinner preference. Yadav loses out due to his subpar batting.
However, Nitish Reddy, a right-hander, will enter the picture if the grass persists while maintaining the bind of red soil track.
