Second Test: With fans set to return, India look to bounce back while England stick to rotation

The cauldron that Test cricket creates is brutal. One day, you are on top of the world after breaching a fortress in Australia that has stood for three decades and a fortnight later, your own fortress of sorts is breached by an England side full of confidence. As India captain Virat Kohli said after the defeat in Chennai, there is nothing for granted in this format and Joe Root’s men are strong enough away from home to test India’s incredible record in their own backyard.

And after plenty of chatter around the pitch for series opener — Ishant Sharma said it felt like a road on days one and two — it would seem the tables will be turned for the all-important second match. The sides could be treated by a turner against a well-prepared England side in the second Test starting Saturday, in a match where defeat will end India’s hopes of reaching the World Test Championships final. India need to win two matches in the series and not lose any of the remaining games to make the WTC final.

After a comprehensive 227-run defeat in the first Test, which is bound to have fired up Kohli’s men, the stage is set for another cracking contest and this time in front of fans. The Indian skipper thrives when you put him under pressure and the spectators’ presence could just create a perfect storm for him to produce magic with the bat. Reminder, he is yet to score an international century since November 2019.

With the crowd back inside the heated cauldron ready to egg him on Kohli would be ready for the fight that he promised England, a very resolute opposition. England have been confounding expectations for a while now, having won six away Test matches on the bounce. Joe Root and Chris Silverwood have forged a team that are turning out to be consistent across formats.

A look at the newly-laid dark coloured Chepauk track is an indication that unlike the strip used during the first Test, this one will offer turn earlier than expected.

Ashwin Ravichandran will need a lot of support from the other end in terms of both restrictive and attacking options as Kohli felt the lack of control from the other two spinners in the opener cost India in their defeat. A fit-again Axar Patel is the closest to being a like-for-like replacement for an injured Ravindra Jadeja and is set to make his Test debut. Whether Kuldeep Yadav also gets a game in place of Washington Sundar, remains to be seen with Kohli arguing his exclusion did not cost India the game previously.

With Ajinkya Rahane predicting turn from day one, it would be safe to assume India will stick to a similar combination from the first Test and three pacers are unlikely.

It is also worth noting, as it happened in Pune in 2017, Steve Smith punished India on a rank turner on the first day. And a few years further back, perhaps the best innings ever played on a turner in India by a visiting batsman – Kevin Pietersen’s epic 186 in Mumbai in 2012. Both have lessons for the hosts given Joe Root’s form. In both games, it was the rival spinners (Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar in 12 and Steve O’Keefe in 2017) who made the most of the conditions and rattled the Indian batsmen in their own den.

England have left out James Anderson and Dom Bess for the second Test against India, with the visitors naming Stuart Broad, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes and paceman Olly Stone in their 12.

With speedster Jofra Archer ruled out due to an elbow injury, Olly, who played his only Test in July 2019, or Woakes are expected to partner Broad in the Test starting Saturday in Chennai.

“(Stone) is certainly looking very good in and around training,” captain Joe Root told reporters on the eve of the Test.

“As with a lot of players in the current time that they are in, they have to make the most of the little chances we get to play.”

Root said: “(Stone) has a big heart, a huge amount of skill and pace as well, and will give variety within the attack if he gets the opportunity to play.”

The England skipper said they can have either Stone or Woakes making the starting line-up which will be decided after looking at the pitch.

Ali, who missed England’s 2-0 sweep in Sri Lanka after being infected with coronavirus, has been chosen ahead of fellow spinner Dom Bess, who claimed five wickets in the opening win.

“Wasn’t an easy decision, Dom’s contributed fantastically well in these three games (two in Sri Lanka), he has made a real impact,” said Root.

“He is young and this doesn’t mean that he is getting a big push back down the pecking order. It gives him an opportunity to step away from Test cricket and work at his game.

“It gives Moeen a great opportunity to come back into things with all of his experience and someone whose bowling extremely well in and around practice.”

Root said resting Anderson – also a key figure in the opening Test – gives them the opportunity to get the veteran paceman back for the final two Tests in Ahmedabad.

“Everyone’s heart was in favour of him being available for this game, but also you look at the bigger picture,” said Root.

“And ideally if he is available for two of the last three that’s a huge asset for us as a team.”

England have previously also rotated their fast bowlers with either the 38-year-old Anderson or Broad being picked for a Test. The pace duo has claimed 1128 Test wickets between them.

Root said Archer should be able to get himself “fit and ready” for the third Test - a day-night affair - starting February 24.

India’s squad for 2nd Test: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur  

England’s 12-man squad: Joe Root (capt), Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Daniel Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes, Ollie Pope, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Olly Stone, Stuart Broad

Watch Rahane’s press conference ahead of the second Test:

(With AFP and PTI inputs)