"People are unnecessarily targeting him" - Aakash Chopra wants India to stick with KL Rahul for 2nd Test vs Australia
Aakash Chopra feels KL Rahul is being wrongly targeted and that the opener should retain his spot in India's playing XI for the second Test against Australia.
The second game of the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be played in Delhi from Friday, February 17. Rahul managed only 20 runs in Rohit Sharma and Co.'s emphatic innings and 132-run win in the series opener in Nagpur.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that Shreyas Iyer replacing Suryakumar Yadav should be the only change in India's batting lineup, elaborating:
"I don't see much scope for change in the Indian batting. Only one - Shreyas Iyer will come and Suryakumar Yadav will go. A little pressure has been created on KL Rahul. I hope he has a good match because the guy plays well and people are unnecessarily targeting him."
Chopra added that KL Rahul cannot be dropped just because an in-form Shubman Gill is waiting in the wings, observing:
"I know Shubman (Gill) is sitting outside but the incumbent player does not become bad because someone is sitting out. It is Cheteshwar Pujara's 100th Test, so I am expecting him to have a good game."
Pujara will become the 13th Indian to figure in 100 Tests if he is part of the playing XI. The Saurashtra player, who was dismissed cheaply in the first Test, will want to make the milestone a memorable occasion by playing a substantial knock.
"Playing more than two fast bowlers is illegal" - Aakash Chopra on India's likely bowling attack
Chopra believes India will persist with Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj as the two seamers in their bowling attack, explaining:
"Jaydev Unadkat has actually been released, he is not in their scheme of things, so he can go and play the Ranji Trophy final between Saurashtra and Bengal. Only two fast bowlers are going to play, Umesh is there in the team but he won't get a chance. I feel playing more than two fast bowlers is illegal if you are playing in India."
The cricketer-turned-commentator feels the Indian team management might have a choice to make between Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel in the spin-bowling department, stating:
"In spin bowling, you will have the option of Kuldeep Yadav and the three spinners who played the last match are there in any case there - Jadeja, Ashwin and Axar. The biggest question for the Indian team will be whether they should stick with Axar on this black-soil surface or if they can play Kuldeep Yadav."
My India XI for Second Test:
Rohit (c)
Gill
Pujara
Kohli
Iyer
Bharat (wk)
Jadeja
Axar
Ashwin
Shami
Siraj
What's yours? #INDvAUS
Chopra opined that Kuldeep should be the preferred option if the pitch is even slightly less helpful for the spinners. However, he reckons Axar will play as it would be almost impossible to drop him after his exploits with the bat in the first Test.