England currently holds a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series against India and aims to extend their advantage in the second Test against Rohit Sharma’s team at the DR. Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The match will start on 02, February, 2024 at 9:30 IST.
Meanwhile, the visitors have named the playing XI for the second Test against India with a couple of changes in their last playing XI when they came to Hyderabad.
After a knee injury that ruled Jack Leach out of the second Test, the young off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has been named as his replacement. In the first Test, England opted for the only frontline pacer, Mark Wood, who will now be rested, and the experienced James Anderson has been included in the XI for the upcoming match.
Shoaib Bashir faced challenges in obtaining his visa due to his Pakistani roots, which resulted in his delayed arrival in India compared to his teammates. He joined the team after the start of the first Test and is now set to make his international debut on Friday. The 20-year-old off-spinner will replace Jack Leach.
James Anderson currently has 690 Test wickets and he will be looking to join the 700-club by the end of the second Test. However, it will be interesting to see the number of overs he gets to bowl, keeping in mind that Indian pitches favor the spinners most.
England’s Playing XI For Second Test Against India
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), Ben Foakes (WK), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson
