If there was any team that could stop the in-form Indians, it was the English team. They showcased a clinical performance against India in the first test with their skipper-Joe Root leading from the front with the dominating 218 in the first innings. The second match of the 4-match series is set to take place at the same venue, starting this Saturday.
Both the teams are well in contention for the finalists' spot in the ICC Test World Championship, which is scheduled to take place 18th of June this year at the Mecca of Cricket- Lords, England. Team India though after the loss in the first test now are left in a position where they need to win at least two of their remaining matches and draw one.
England on the other side needs to win the series 3-0 or 4-0, which means a single win by the Indians in the upcoming matches will see the English team out of the ICC Test World Championship.
The previous encounter saw the Indian team struggle to get the English batsmen out in the first innings and it was partly due to the pitch which had nothing to offer for the bowlers. England will be hoping they can continue their winning momentum and make it to the ICC WTC finals on their home soil.
The Men in Blue are known for their comebacks. Can Virat Kohli and Co. pull one again? Or will the in-form Joe Root take things into his hands from the word go?
Match Toss Time: 09:00 Local (03:30 GMT)
Match Start Time: 09:30 Local (04:00 GMT)
Match Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Weather Report
Ideal conditions for the game of cricket as clear skies are expected throughout the course of five days. The temperature is expected to be hovering in 29- 25 degrees Celsius and the humidity at the peak is likely to touch the 56 percent mark.
Pitch
The surface is expected to have more purchase for the spinners compared to the first test. Unlike the first test where the first two days were completely in favor of the batsmen, this track is expected to showcase an even contest between the bat and ball from day 1. Said that the toss is once again certain to play a vital role here and it would be a no-brainer that the team winning the toss will be looking to bat first.
Team News
The 27-year old all-rounder Axar Patel is now available for the selection and it looks likely that he will make it to the playing Xl. The skipper Kohli did hint at having three spinners and that does mean Sundar could retain his place. His batting cushion is likely to give him the advantage over Kuldeep Yadav. As far as the fast bowlers can be concerned, India is likely to go with the same duo of Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah.
As per the latest reports, the spearhead Jofra Archer will not be available for the second test as he has been ruled out due to an elbow injury. He is likely to be replaced by star all-rounder Stuart Broad. England will also be missing the services of Jos Buttler which does clear the path for Ben Faokes.
Probable Playing Xl
India (IND): Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma
England (ENG): Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Dan Lawrence, Joe Root(c), Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes(w), Ollie Pope, Dominic Bess, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
IND vs ENG Fantasy Team
Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Dominic Sibley, Joe Root, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ben Stokes, Jasprit Bumrah, Dominic Bess, Stuart Board
Captain Picks: Shubman Gill (IND), Dominic Sibley (ENG)
Vice-captain Picks: Joe Root (ENG), Chesteshwar Pujara (IND)
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