Aakash Chopra picks India’s likely XI for 2nd Test vs South Africa, expects 2 changes
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has shared his insights on India’s playing XI for the second Test against South Africa. With the final Test of the two-match series set to take place in Cape Town from Wednesday, January 3, Chopra believes that India will make two changes to their lineup.
After being comprehensively defeated by an innings and 32 runs in the Boxing Day Test in Centurion, India will be eager to bounce back and level the series. Despite the batting disappointments in the previous match, Chopra suggests that there will be no changes in the batting order, considering there are no additional batters in the squad. He expects Yashasvi Jaiswal to continue opening alongside Rohit Sharma, followed by Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul.
In terms of the bowling department, Chopra anticipates Ravindra Jadeja to replace Ravichandran Ashwin at number seven. However, there remains a debate on whether Shardul Thakur should retain his place, as he was quite expensive in the previous game. Yet, Chopra believes that Thakur will be given another chance due to the need for a batter in that position.
Regarding the fast bowlers, Chopra predicts that Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah will secure their spots, while there will be deliberation on whether Prasidh Krishna or Avesh Khan should be included. Despite Krishna’s indifferent performance in his debut game, conceding 93 runs in 20 overs, Chopra believes it would be unfair to drop him based on one game.
India will need to regroup and perform at their best to challenge South Africa in the upcoming Test. The expected changes in the playing XI, as suggested by Aakash Chopra, could provide the necessary spark and improve India’s chances of drawing level in the series. Fans will eagerly wait to see how India fares in the second Test and if the predicted changes will make a positive impact on their performance.
