West Indies vs India 2019: Will India play 2 spinners for the 2nd Test?
India got off to a winning start in the World Test Championship by defeating the West Indies in convincing fashion. The Virat Kohli-led side put in an all-around effort at Antigua which ensured a comprehensive victory for the visitors.
India now lead the 2-match series 1-0. Jamaica will host the second Test from 30th August.
The Men in Blue went into the first match with a few controversial selections, as Ravichandran Ashwin and Rohit Sharma were relegated to the bench. The players who were selected ahead of the aforementioned players performed well and justified their positions in the playing XI.
On the batting front, Ajinkya Rahane once again proved his significance to the Indian Test set-up by playing crucial knocks in both the innings and was rightly adjudged as the Man of the match. Hanuma Vihari also chipped in with vital contributions in both the innings.
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul got off to starts but they couldn't make significant contributions. Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara failed to perform well in the match, and the duo will look to bounce back and score some runs in the second Test.
India's bowling department, comprising the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravinchandran Ashwin, is one of the best in the world. They reinforced that idea once again by demolishing West Indies' batting order in the first match.
Ishant and Bumrah picked up a five-wicket haul each in the first Test, while Shami and Jadeja supported them ably.
The conditions at Jamaica are expected to assist the spinners, so the team management will be looking to add a spinner to the side for the next match. The experienced Ashwin is the likeliest player who might be selected in the XI along with Jadeja for this Test.
Kuldeep Yadav could also be considered, but Ashwin's phenomenal record and international experience might give him the upper hand over him.
The team management will in all likelihood continue with the same batting lineup, with Agarwal and Rahul continuing their association at the top of the innings. Rohit might continue to warm the benches as all the middle order players have performed well in the recent past.
So ideally, Team India should make only one change to their playing XI from the previous Test - Ashwin to replace Shami. That is assuming the team management thinks they need two primary spinners.
Ideal XI
Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant(wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah
Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on India South Africa live score, India South Africa schedule, news, results, points table, most runs, most wickets and fantasy tips.