"India will win within four days" - Aakash Chopra ahead of 2nd IND vs SL 2022 Test
Former Indian opener and cricket expert Aakash Chopra has made his predictions ahead of India's pink-ball Test against Sri Lanka beginning from today. The 44-year-old has backed Team India to make light work of the visitors and coast to a comfortable victory.
There has been a lot of talk about playing the extra pacer as the pink ball has historically assisted the quicks. However, Aakash Chopra is of the opinion that it will be a fantastic batting surface and the team that wins the toss should have no hesitation in batting first.
In a video on his YouTube channel, here's what Aakash Chopra had to say while previewing the second Test:
"Win the toss and bat first. The grass on the pitch is just for show. It is said that the pink ball aids fast bowling. But when I read the pitch report, I realized that nothing like that is likely to happen. The first session will produce the most amount of runs as batting becomes difficult later as the ball moves under lights."
The Indian spinners dominated the visitors in the first Test and the game ended inside three days. Chopra has predicted that the game in Bengaluru could witness another emphatic performance from the spinners. He added:
"Spinners from both teams will pick up more than 20 wickets. The Indian spinners alone will pick up 15-17 wickets and if they play three spinners, the count can reach 18 as well. I feel India will win the game within four days."
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Huge opportunity for Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal: Aakash Chopra
Both Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal got off to starts in the first Test but failed to convert them into big scores. Rohit was once again a victim of the short ball ploy and Aakash Chopra feels the Indian captain will need to be careful with his shot selection. He opined:
"As openers, it is a huge opportunity for both Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal. Rohit will need to be careful while playing the hook shot as he will be peppered with bouncers. However, the good thing is that if he attempts the hook, it will go straight into the stands as the ground is small."
The 44-year-old is also hopeful that the likes of Agarwal and Hanuma Vihari will make the most of their opportunity and get themselves a big score. He stated:
"Mayank Agarwal also got a start but then he didn't really capitalize. It is important for both openers to do so. Hanuma Vihari will need to convert his fifties into hundreds as the assignments that lie ahead won't be easy."
It will be interesting to see whether India go in with an extra spinner or seamer for the pink ball Test.