The first Test of 2024 for the Indian cricket team is a do-or-die one. Against South Africa in Cape Town, the Rohit Sharma-led side needs a win to draw the series. after an embarrassing loss by an innings and 32 runs, the Indian cricket team has its task cut out for the second Test. There will be much intrigue surrounding India’s playing XI too. Many experts have predicted that there will be two changes in the XI. Ravichandran Ashwin may make way for Ravindra Jadeja while Mukesh Kumar may replace Prasidh Krishna.
The practice session before Test was interesting two with Virat Kohli showing great intent.
“Many players came around 9:30 AM. Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill started the proceeding. Virat Kohli and Shubman Gil played six balls each on the centre wickets. In front of them were Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin. They played for around half an hour. They face bowling of specific lengths.” Rohan Deshmukh, who covered the practice session for Star Sports, said in a video on Monday.
“It was a good practice. They then went to the nets. There also they batter for 20 minutes. Virat Kohli was focused. Unhone aas paas jitne bhi camerapersons then unko side me kiya (He told the camerapersons to move to a side). He wanted a practice with intent.”
Deshmukh also said that the Indian bowlers were asked to bowl at a particular length. “Approximately 6-8m length was used. All pace bowlers were asked to bowl at that length. Bumrah, Siraj bowled for half an hour. All the deliveries were bowled with that length. even when Ashwin bowled, his delivery dropped at one end of the markers. It looks like a focucssed approach,” he said.
Former Indian cricket team captain Sunil Gavaskar predicted two changes that might take place in India’s playing XI.
“My Playing XI would be not too many changes. Ravindra Jadeja, once he is fit, will probably walk back into the team at the expense of Ravichandran Ashwin. That’s what it is looking to be because Ravichandran Ashwin was hardly used in the previous game. There could be a change in the new ball bowling too with Mukhesh Kumar coming in place of Prasidh Krishna,” Sunil Gavaskar told Star Sports.
Team India’s humiliating 3-day loss in the first Test against South Africa sent shockwaves across the cricketing spectrum. Multiple greats of the game and pundits questioned the team’s preapredness for the tour, with the legendary Sunil Gavaskar highlighting the absence of practice matches as one of the biggest reasons behind the result embarrasing result. Gavaskar even called India’s intra-squad matches a ‘joke’ as he lambasted Rohit Sharma and the team management’s decision to not play First Class practice matches before the start of the 2-match
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