Picture Credit: BCCI
The Indian Cricket team has remained undefeated against Sri Lanka after defeating them 3-0 in the T20I series. In the first Test match, the Men in Blue dominated the Lankans and handed them a colossal defeat by an innings and 222 runs. Ravindra Jadeja had a stellar performance as he scored 175 runs in the first innings and took nine wickets.
Similarly, Rishabh Pant silenced his critics after playing an important knock of 96 runs that laid the foundation for Jadeja’s hundred. Hanuma Vihari also had an incredible game as he embraced the Cheteshwar Pujara role and scored 58 off 128 balls. Alongside Jadeja, Ashwin also had a great all-around performance with 61 runs and six wickets.
India playing XI in the first Test:
Rohit Sharma (c), Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jayant Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
Now talking about the second Test, India will look to seal the series with another dominant performance. As the Test match will be played with a pink ball, it could lead to a few changes in the playing XI.
India Test squad:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), KS Bharat, Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, R. Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Saurabh Kumar, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain).
Let us now look at India’s probable playing XI
Rohit Sharma
The captain of the Indian team will be the first name on the team sheet as he would look to score big runs after giving away a good start in the first Test. He would also want to win his debut Test series as captain with a whitewash.
Mayank Agarwal
The local boy, Mayank Agarwal will be the preferred second opener in the team. He along with Sharma also had a decent start but failed to score big runs. Agarwal would look to have a big score at his home ground.
Hanuma Vihari
Replacing Cheteshwar Pujara looked like a difficult job but Hanuma Vihari stood up and took this responsibility with both hands. Vihari’s gritty 58 ensures him the number three position in the batting order.
Virat Kohli
After playing his 100th Test, fans are still waiting for Virat Kohli to score a big century as he returns to his second home in Bengaluru. The former RCB and India captain would want to end his century drought.
Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer was one of the few non-performers in the first Test match. He scored 27 runs from 48 balls with three boundaries. Iyer had a great T20 series with 204 runs at a staggering strike rate of 174.56 and would want to continue his streak of scoring against Sri Lanka.
Rishabh Pant (wk)
Rishabh Pant had an incredible knock in the first Test match as he silenced his critics once again. Similarly, he would want to continue racking up big runs against timid Lankan bowling.
Ravindra Jadeja
Sir Ravindra Jadeja had a Player of the Match performance in the first match and also became the number one all-rounder in ICC Test rankings. He will play a big role in 2nd Test as well.
Ravichandran Ashwin
R Ashwin, like Jadeja, had an incredible game with six wickets and a half-century, so he is directly part of the second Test playing XI.
Axar Patel
As a replacement for Jayant Yadav, Axar Patel could be included in the second Test. He has a great record with Pink ball and could cause a menace in Bengaluru.
Mohammed Shami
As the Pink Ball favours the pacers in the early moments of the game, Mohammed Shami would be one of India’s fast bowlers against Sri Lanka.
Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumarh is India’s vice-captain and hence will be part of the playing XI.
India Probable Playing XI in the second Test:
Rohit Sharma (c), Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
