India vs West Indies 2018: 2 possible changes by India for the second Test match
India has won the first Test match against West Indies by an innings and 272 runs. Indian team has outperformed the guests in every department in this match. Three Indian batsmen were able to score hundreds while Pant and Pujara nearly missed the ton.
Indian spinners took 16 wickets in the match which shows their dominance in the game. Kuldeep picked his first five wickets in the second inning. West Indies batsmen were unable to read Indian spinners and play proper cricketing shots against them.
Despite brilliant performances in every department, there were few players who were not up to the mark in this match. So, the team could make certain changes in the side for the second test match.
Management wants to analyze their maximum players ahead of the Australian test series. Youngsters have performed brilliantly in the domestic circuit.
They should be rewarded for their consistency and should be given the chance in the International cricket to showcase their potential.
Here are the two possible changes for the second test match against West Indies.
Hanuma Vihari for Ajinkya Rahane
There is a big possibility that team management might consider playing Vihari at the fifth spot in the batting lineup.
Rahane has been underperforming for quite a long time. He has lost confidence in his batting and he was even struggling against an average bowling attack of the West Indies.
Hanuma Vihari has shown tremendous consistency in the domestic circuit. In his 64 first-class matches, Vihari has scored 5198 runs at an astonishing average of 59.06 including fifteen hundreds.
Vihari was then given a chance at the International stage in England in the last test match of the series. He scored a very important and gritty fifty in the first inning, which gave India a respectable total to put up a fight against England in that match.
Rahane has lost his form and self-belief. He has just scored 2 fifties this year in 14 innings with an abysmal average of 26.07.
Team management has to take a decision on Rahane. They should give the chance to Vihari to boost his confidence. Vihari generally bats in the middle order. So, it would be good for India to test all its options ahead of Australian series.
Mohammed Siraj for Umesh Yadav
Mohammed Siraj's emergence as a fast bowler is an extraordinary story in itself. The son of an autorickshaw driver in Hyderabad, Siraj started playing professional cricket only in 2015.
In his second season in 2016-17, he took Hyderabad to the quarter-final in the Ranji Trophy, taking 41 wickets from nine matches.
Team management might give Siraj a chance in the second test match against West Indies in place of Umesh Yadav to test its fast bowling options.
Umesh Yadav has a major problem in his consistency. He finds it difficult to bowl at a particular line and length in a long spell. He has a habit of leaking runs due to his inaccurate line and length.
Siraj is performing exceptionally well in the domestic circuit. He has the ability to swing the ball superbly into the right-handed batsmen.
He also bowls very good bouncers which could be very useful in the Australian conditions. Siraj has a remarkable record in the first-class cricket, where he has taken 97 wickets in 20 matches.
Umesh has been given enough chances and management might consider giving the chance to this youngster.
Even Rahul Dravid praised Siraj in a recent interview and said that he is ready for the next level.