Ajinkya Rahane will likely be aiming to pile on the runs and lead India to a collection sweep towards a feeble West Indies when the second and last Test begins right here on Thursday.
The sport will mark the one centesimal Test between the 2 groups and although India skipper Rohit Sharma mentioned it is going to be an enormous event, his workforce will likely be anticipated to dominate the West Indies prefer it did within the collection opener in Dominica.
After the sport on the Queen’s Park Oval, India performs its subsequent Test solely on the tour of South Africa in December-January, leaving the likes of Rahane another alternative to make it extraordinarily exhausting for selectors to miss him for the away collection towards the Proteas.
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In his first Test in 18 months, which occurred to be the World Test Championships last final month, Rahane was the stand-out India batter. But, he can be ruing the missed alternative on a sluggish and turning pitch in Dominica, the place the guests wanted to bat solely as soon as.
There is a powerful likelihood that India will once more bat solely as soon as and Rahane might want to make it depend with Shreyas Iyer, who’s present process rehab after a again surgical procedure, anticipated to be accessible for the South Africa tour.
Batting coach Vikram Rathour mentioned within the lead as much as the sport that India would want an in-form Rahane for the South African sojourn.
“When it comes to technique, you constantly work on that, but what stood out for me was that he was much more calm in his approach. He was playing late and close to the body. He is still batting the same way in the nets.
“We hope he will do well. Conditions in South Africa, you will need somebody like him to come good,” Rathour mentioned forward of the second Test.
Following an innings and 141-run victory in three days, no main modifications are anticipated within the taking part in eleven however it stays to be seen if left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat will get one other alternative.
The 31-year-old, who featured in solely his third Test in 13 years, was the lone Indian bowler who didn’t choose a wicket in Dominica and bowled solely 9 overs.
India spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja made merry on a monitor providing flip within the collection opener and one other turner is on the playing cards with the West Indies changing batting all-rounder Ramon Reifer with spin all-rounder Kevin Sinclair.
If that’s certainly the case, India will likely be tempted to play one other spinner in Axar Patel at Unadkat’s expense.
Shardul Thakur will also be benched to accommodate Axar, whose batting has improved by leaps and bounds within the final 12 months.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who turned solely the third Indian to attain 150 on his debut, will likely be seeking to lengthen his purple patch. Shubman Gill may solely final 11 balls after dropping to quantity three and he will likely be itching to exit within the center.
Virat Kohli, who has not made an abroad Test hundred since December 2018, additionally will likely be eyeing an enormous knock after a dogged 76 within the opener.
After taking 20 balls for his first run in Test cricket, Ishan Kishan can be eagerly ready for his likelihood within the center after impressing the skipper along with his maintaining abilities towards Ashwin and Jadeja on his debut.
Barring debutant Alick Athanaze, not one of the West Indies batters have been snug towards top quality spin and are more likely to wrestle if the ball turns as a lot because it did in Dominica.
West Indies may be higher off with a pitch that aids quick bowling, bringing Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph within the sport.
SQUAD
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Jermaine Blackwood (vice-captain), Alick Athanaze, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva (wicket-keeper), Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kirk McKenzie, Kevin Sinclair, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican.
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com