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India Vs England 2nd Test Match Preview
Desperate India look for revenge with 50 percent crowd to be allowed in 2nd Test
Hurt by their crushing 227-run defeat in the opening Test, Virat Kohli and India seem to be desperate to make the score line 1-1 in the 2nd Test, commencing on 13th February, Saturday at the same venue MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
One of the interesting parts of India Vs England 2nd Test preview is that for the first time since October 2019, spectators although in a reduced capacity (50 percent of the total seats) will be seen coming to the stadium to watch the match. However, it is unclear whether how many England fans called ‘Barmy Army’ will be able to attend the 2nd Test due to the suspension of foreign tourists for COVID-19 as during England's recently concluded Sri Lanka trip only one England supporter was able to watch his home team's matches. The fans will be heavily monitored during their visit as they will have to seat on alternate chairs, sanitization of hands at every entrance, separate crew to monitor CCTV, increasing number of volunteers at the stands and the ball will also be sanitized after batsman hits sixer every time.
India Vs England 2nd Test preview is giving another view of Team India’s status before the 2nd Test. It has been learnt that Virat Kohli, the skipper has expressed dissatisfaction over the character of the pitch which was flat and slow. However, England Tour of India became quite difficult for both India and England to bat on the track as 24 wickets fell over five sessions in the last two sessions. Now one of the four adjacent pitches at Chidambaram is reportedly being prepared for the 2nd Test. But this pitch also, although Kohli feels will not behave as it did in the 1st test, cannot be drastically different from the previous track. According to reports coming from Team India sources, Kohli has mentioned that the pitch failed to carry as the ball was stopping on the batsman from the 3rd Day in the 1st Test which did not help Indian batsmen.
However, in a bid to salvage pride in the 2nd Test team India think-tank has reportedly planned to continue with the three-spinner theory. In that case, left-arm Shahbaz Nadim who gave away 167 runs in England’s mammoth first innings total of 578 is likely to be dropped and make way for Axar Patel who is recuperating from knee pain and is batting and bowling at the nets also. Washington Sundar, despite his splendid show in the first innings, might be dropped in the 2nd Test, and in that case, it can be a toss-up between leg-spinner Rahul Chahar and Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav. However, the final selection of the players for the playing XI will entirely depend on the captain on the final day.
On the other side, Ben Stokes is likely to take over wicket-keeping duty from Jos Buttler who ended his phase of wicket-keeping after the 1st test in India as part of the team's rest-and-rotate policy in the pandemic. The only dilemma in the team's squad before the 2nd test looks with James Anderson despite his excellent three wickets on the 5th day According to reports from the England camp, Anderson, the reverse-swing specialist may be rested in the 2nd Test and Stuart Broad who is also a quality swing bowler may get into the playing XI.
However, Virat Kohli who seems to be under little psychological pressure following four consecutive defeats (two in New Zealand, one in Australia) must have to sort out how Joe Root, the England skipper who is in the magnificent form (684 runs in last three Tests) can be stopped in the 2nd Test also.
India Vs England 2nd Test preview also includes another interesting feature that winning toss might also change the fate of India as Kohli has lost nine successive tosses against England in Tests from November 26, 2016, to February 9, 2021. Overall, Virat Kohli has lost 10 tosses out of 11 times he has captained against England, winning five Tests, losing five, and making a draw in the remaining one.
