'Play an extra batter': With Kohli, Rahul, Jadeja already gone, ex-player stresses on leaving Siraj

With already 0-1 down in the series and Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Ravindra Jadeja certain to miss the 2nd Test, Team India is in a precarious. The absence of the veterans will make way for the youngsters to step in and showcase their mettle, and adding further room for another youngster, a former India cricketer has talked about leaving out an experienced campaigner in the form of Mohammed Siraj.

3 things you need to know

• India lost the 1st Test by 28 runs
• Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Ravindra Jadeja will not feature in 2nd Test
• 2nd Test will begin on February 2, 2024

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Parthiv Patel talks about leaving Siraj out

As it was anticipated, spin became the biggest factor in the 1st Test. Both teams endured problems facing spin, which is evident from the fact that 32 out of the 40 wickets were taken by spinners. Thus, the spinners are expected to play a major role in the upcoming matches as well. Considering that, Parthiv Patel has raised the perspective of leaving Siraj out and bringing in a pure batsman in place of him. Siraj bowled only 16 overs in the entire 1st Test and went wicketless in both innings. Highlighting the same, Patel thinks it would be feasible to bring in another batsman, if the pace option is not of much avail.

"There is no doubt that three spinners are enough, but I have a different perspective. You have used Siraj for only six or seven overs throughout the Test. Axar Patel played ahead of Kuldeep Yadav because of his batting abilities, as mentioned by Rohit Sharma before the Test. And if you are not using Siraj much, then why not play an extra pure batter," Parthiv told JioCinema.

"So, you will have three types of bowlers in Ashwin, Axar, and Kuldeep, and the extra batter will add depth to the batting. And there’s no point playing someone if you are going to give him only seven overs," Parthiv added.

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India vs England 2nd Test preview

After suffering the defeat in Hyderabad, Team India would look to bounce back in Vishakhapatnam. The onus would once again lie on Rohit Sharma. He would be seeking to lead from the front. Aside from Sharma, focus would be on youngsters, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shreyas Iyer. Besides that, Shubman Gill will be under heavy scrutiny as he flopped in both innings of the 1st Test. Moreover, it will be intriguing to see who gets the push between Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, and Rajat Patidar. The second Test starts on February 2, 2024.