Saurabh Kumar Steps In as All-Rounder in Place of Ravindra Jadeja for IND vs ENG 2nd Test
Saurabh Kumar has been included in the Indian cricket team for the upcoming second Test of the five-match series against England, starting on February 2 at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Selection Committee made this decision following the unavailability of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and middle-order batter KL Rahul. In the previous Test, Rohit Sharma’s India faced a close defeat of 28 runs in Hyderabad, despite dominating the match for the majority of the first three days.
Sarfaraz Khan and Washington Sundar have also been added to the squad alongside Saurabh Kumar for the second Test. Similar to Jadeja, Saurabh Kumar is a left-handed spin-bowling all-rounder who represents Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket.
Team India’s Strategic Reshuffle: Saurabh Kumar’s Inclusion and Squad Updates for 2nd Test Against England
Saurabh boasts a commendable record in first-class cricket, with a solid batting average, including two centuries and 12 half-centuries, along with 290 wickets in 68 matches as a left-arm orthodox spinner. His recent standout performance in India A’s victory over the England Lions in the second ‘unofficial Test’ showcased his prowess with a five-wicket haul.
Notably, Saurabh Kumar was among the net bowlers for India’s Test series against England in January 2021. The decision to include him in the playing eleven for the second Test will be interesting, especially considering Jadeja’s impressive performance in the first match, where he took five wickets and scored 87 runs in the first innings. With Jadeja’s all-round abilities being crucial to the team, the off-spinner Sundar, who has shown promise in his four-Test career, might be considered as a replacement in the playing eleven.
The updated squad for the second Test against England includes Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, and Sourabh Kumar.
19:30 IST
