The star Indian wicket-keeper batter KL Rahul has been dropped from the playing XI as the Indian cricket team has made important changes for the second Test against New Zealand in Pune. Shubman Gill is back in the playing eleven, replacing KL Rahul. Rahul has been struggling with his form lately, and his poor performance in the first Test in Bengaluru led the team to this difficult choice. With Gill returning from a stiff neck and Sarfaraz Khan impressing with 150 runs in the first Test, the decision to drop Rahul was clear.
This move by the Indian cricket management has sparked a lot of discussion among fans online, with mixed opinions about Rahul’s omission.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma said, “Would’ve batted as well. When you play a Test match like that, the first session didn’t go our way. But we batted well in the second innings. We take a lot of positives from that and see how we can turn things around here.”
“Always want to find ways to get back into the Test match when you’re behind. That’s what we did. The pitch is a little drier, yes. We do understand how important the first 10 overs are. Three changes – Siraj, KL, and Kuldeep miss out. Akash Deep, Washington, and Gill come in.”
The match is happening at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune, where India wants to bounce back after losing the first Test by eight wickets. New Zealand leads the three-match series 1-0, and they are close to achieving something special, winning a Test series in India, which no other team has done since 2012.
In another update, New Zealand captain Tom Latham announced that pacer Matt Henry will miss the second Test due to a glute injury. Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner will replace him in the playing eleven. Latham mentioned that the pitch looks different from last week, with less grass. He expects the surface to produce some spin, which is typical in this area.
With both teams eager for a win, this second Test promises to be an exciting match. As India tries to level the series, Shubman Gill’s return could be a game-changer, and fans will be closely watching how this unfolds in Pune.
Playing XI of India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test
India
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah
New Zealand
Tom Latham (captain), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel and William O’Rourke.
