India made some substantial changes to their squad for the IND vs ENG 2ndTest with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and batter KL Rahul ruled out due to a hamstring injury and right quadriceps pain, respectively. The revised squad, announced by BCCI selectors, saw the addition of three players – batter Sarfaraz Khan, all-rounder Washington Sundar, and left-arm spinner Sourabh Kumar.
Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh, analyzing the squad changes on his YouTube channel, expressed expectations of a spinning track in Visakhapatnam for the upcoming Test. He highlighted the perceived weakness in the batting lineup, noting that after captain Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin emerged as the next-best run-getter.
Harbhajan remarked, “The team looks decent, but lacks experience. Yes, there is Rohit Sharma, but the next best run-scorer is Ashwin. In terms of batting, the line-up looks weak.” He anticipated a turning track, given the inclusion of spinners Washington Sundar, along with Kuldeep Yadav, Ashwin, and Axar Patel.
However, Harbhajan expressed concern about potentially repeating the strategy used in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, where India’s decision to prepare a turning pitch backfired, leading to Australia’s victory. He cautioned, “I fear India don’t end up losing after making a turning pitch for England. This batting unit is young, they need time, and if they get a good track, they might even perform well.”
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