IND vs ENG 2nd Test: Tough English Test for Rohit and Co.

India captain Rohit Sharma with teammates during a practice session ahead of the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Pic/PTI

On the drive from the city to the ACA-VDCA Stadium, posters with images of KS Bharat are a common feature. ‘Pride of Vizag' is one of the legends accompanying the bold photo of his face as the City of Destiny braces up to welcome the local lad, who will be playing his first international game in the place of his birth.

Destiny's hand in Bharat's comeback can't be underplayed. Out of contention a couple of months back, he earned a recall following Ishan Kishan's withdrawal in South Africa. Now, Bharat is in a position to make a meaningful contribution in front of family and friends.

Also Read: IND vs ENG 2nd Test: Spin puzzle on Indian table?

India's destiny, like Bharat's, lies in their own hands. Having allowed England to wriggle out of a tight spot in Hyderabad and pull off a 28-run victory, they must do all the running in the remaining four Tests. No side had previously come back from a 190-run deficit on Indian soil to win a Test. Driven by Ollie Pope's magical 196, England found a way to rewrite history, exposing India's tactical and implementation shortcomings ruthlessly in the last two days.

Double blow

In the intervening period, India have lost loads of class and experience through the unavailability of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, so it won't be an exaggeration to call the second Test, which will get underway on Friday, as their sternest examination on home patch for a long time. Not only must they find ways to plug the gaping holes, they must also summon the fortitude and the wherewithal to hit back immediately.

A debut for Rajat Patidar or Sarfaraz Khan is certain; which of the right-handers will win the nod remains to be seen, though the scales might be tilted in favour of the former, given that he was called into the squad to replace Virat Kohli before the first Test. Both have been in terrific form with centuries for India ‘A' against England Lions; both come with no baggage and reasonable experience of playing domestic cricket. It will be a close toss-up.

Kuldeep should play

Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav should, in all probability, come in for Jadeja. India must decide if, on what is expected to be a slow turner with a little more bounce than Hyderabad, they should stick with Mohammed Siraj or place all the pace eggs in the Jasprit Bumrah basket and call up Washington Sundar to fortify their batting.

England will be without left-arm spinner Jack Leach, struggling with a hematoma in his left knee, which means a debut for rangy 20-year-old off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, whose visa woes are firmly behind him. That will mean a severely inexperienced spin grouping, but that doesn't guarantee Indian runs, as Hyderabad reiterated. It's up to Rohit Sharma to goad his troops into action, preferably by leading from the front because the skipper is due a few Test runs too.