"If we play on a bad pitch, their batting is far better equipped" - Aakash Chopra on India's concerns heading into 2nd Test vs England
Aakash Chopra has warned India against preparing a square turner for the second Test against England, opining that the visiting batters are likely to fare better than the hosts in such conditions.
England defeated India by 28 runs in the opening game of the five-match series in Hyderabad on Sunday, January 28. The second match will be played in Visakhapatnam from Friday, February 2.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra stated that India shouldn't prepare a rank turner for the second Test. He reasoned (9:20):
"The opposing team will take a lot of confidence from here. If we play on a bad pitch, their batting is far better equipped. They will bat better than us on a bad pitch because they have the bravery to play unconventional shots, which we don't have."
The former India opener reckons Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer's lack of confidence will be further exposed on a difficult surface. He elaborated:
"We have only two batters who play the sweep well, one is Rohit (Sharma) and the other is (KL) Rahul. Your No. 3 and No. 5 don't have confidence at all. You are struggling. If we make a dust bowl, they will get stuck even more. Gill and Iyer's confidence is slightly shaken at the moment."
Chopra added that the England bowlers will also become as potent as the Indian spinners on a dust bowl. He noted that Tom Hartley ran through the Indian batting lineup on the fourth day in Hyderabad.
"It seems like we have gotten used to playing on rank turners" - Aakash Chopra on India's bowling
![The Indian spinners struggled to pick up wickets in England's second innings. [P/C: BCCI]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/01/9ba9e-17065035732590-1920.jpg?w=500)
Aakash Chopra feels India's bowling is another concern heading into the second Test. He explained:
"If we talk about the bowling, when England started playing reverse and switch sweeps, we didn't have an answer. It seems like we have gotten used to playing on rank turners. When we have to work a little hard, sometimes we are not imaginative enough."
The cricketer-turned-commentator cited Jasprit Bumrah's example to urge the Indian spinners to be a little more imaginative.
"At times, difficulties or bad times force you to think, make your imagination slightly fertile. It doesn't happen if things happen easily. Then you get used to it. If you see Bumrah, he had to think more as it wasn't a pitch for him. So he had to find ways to stay relevant," Chopra said.
Bumrah registered figures of 4/41 in 16.1 overs in England's second innings. On the flip side, the Indian spinners conceded 331 runs while picking up six wickets in 79 overs in the visitors' second essay on a spin-friendly track.