India made significant changes to their lineup for the second Test against New Zealand in Pune. Shubman Gill replaced KL Rahul, who struggled in the first Test, while Akash Deep took Mohammed Siraj’s spot and Washington Sundar came in for Kuldeep Yadav Ā¹ Ā² Ā³ ā“.
The decision to drop KL Rahul was largely due to his disappointing performance in the first Test, where he failed to find form in both innings on his home ground Ā¹. In contrast, Shubman Gill brought promise, having recently shown impressive performances.
Mohammed Siraj’s exclusion was likely influenced by the pitch conditions in Pune, which favored spinners. This change allowed India to test their fast-bowling depth Ā¹. Kuldeep Yadav’s omission raised eyebrows, with experts like Sunil Gavaskar questioning the move, suggesting Yadav’s wrist spin could have been effective against New Zealand’s left-handed batsmen Ā².
Washington Sundar’s inclusion added depth to India’s lower-order batting and potentially strengthened their spin department Ā¹ Ā². The team’s strategy has sparked debate, with former captains Sunil Gavaskar and Anil Kumble expressing surprise over some selections Ā².
India’s revised lineup for the Pune Test includes:
- Batsmen : Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (w), and Sarfaraz Khan
- All-rounders : Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar
- Bowlers : Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah Ā¹
