Guwahati: The ongoing series against South Africa has presented a challenging scenario for India, as they lost the first Test and find themselves amid a blame game involving coaches, players, and pitch conditions. The situation worsened with the loss of captain Shubman Gill, who sustained a neck spasm on the second day of the Kolkata Test. Although he has shown some recovery, Gill is not fully fit to play, leading to Rishabh Pant taking over the leadership role.
India now faces added pressure, trailing in the series without their key batter and captain. This circumstance creates an opportunity for Pant and others to rise to the occasion against the reigning Test champions. With Gill unavailable, a right-handed batter is necessary for the middle order to address the challenge posed by spinner Simon Harmer. India has opted against a replacement for Gill, leaving the available backup batters as left-handers.
With Sai Sudharsan having been excluded from the lineup previously, he is expected to reclaim the No. 3 spot, while Dhruv Jurel is anticipated to bat at No. 4 in Gill’s absence. To maintain a balance of right-handed batsmen, Nitish Kumar Reddy is likely to be brought back in for Axar Patel, who had not performed poorly but will give way to accommodate more right-handers in the batting order.
The remainder of the playing XI is expected to mirror that of the first Test, featuring spinners Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav, supported by pace bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
India’s predicted XI for the second Test against South Africa: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan.
