"England have moved from heavy second favorites to a situation where it would be a disappointment if they did not win the series" - Michael Atherton
Former captain Michael Atherton believes that England have an excellent chance to build on their slender 1-0 series lead against a weakened Indian side.
Ben Stokes and Co. recorded one of their most famous overseas wins in the series opener in Hyderabad. They are on the lookout to make the most of their early momentum.
Team India are arguably in their worst shape in recent times, with star players like Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul not available for selection for the upcoming second Test in Visakhapatnam. Several Indian players are struggling for form as well, marking a golden opportunity for England to claim a near unassailable lead in the five-match affair.
"England have moved from heavy second favourites to a situation where it would be a disappointment now if they did not win the series. Such an outcome, so unexpected and so unbelievable given where both teams were on first innings, must have a huge psychological impact, especially given the quick turnaround and the injuries to two of India’s key players, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul. England have an excellent chance of building on their lead," Atherton wrote in his column for The Times.
Team India are faced with multiple problems ahead of the second Test, with one of them being the balance of the team in Ravindra Jadeja's absence.
The hosts will have to sacrifice either batting depth or bowling strength if they go for Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar respectively. Meanwhile, Saurabh Kumar is a left-field option to complement Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin in the spin department.
“India are not only 1-0 down, but are faced with rare uncertainty over the shape and balance of their team. Suddenly, it looks full of potential weaknesses. He [Jadeja] has a fine record as an all-rounder – the differential in batting and bowling averages places him in the highest rank – and that balances the team beautifully," Atherton added
England are also a spinner down, with Jack Leach ruled out of the second Test due to a knee injury. The visitors have handed a debut to off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, while Mark Wood has made way for James Anderson.
"India's response was to produce even more spiteful surfaces" - Atherton recalls the 2021 tour
England had raced away to a 1-0 lead during their last trip to India as well, courtesy of Joe Root's brilliant double hundred on a surprising Chepauk surface. However, the surface revealed its true rank turner nature in the subsequent contest.
The trend carried to Ahmedabad as well, resulting in India making a triumphant comeback and securing a place in the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final with a 3-1 series win.
Atherton feels that if similar tactics are employed by the hosts, England are more than equipped to deal with the situation and avoid a repeat.
"After England went 1-0 up last time in Chennai in 2021, India’s response was to produce ever more spiteful surfaces, although this England team will not be so fearful should a similar response come this time," Atherton added.
Who will win the second Test between India and England? Let us know what you think.