After narrowly losing the first test match against England in Hyderabad, India is already dealing with injury issues ahead of the second test match on February 2 in Visakhapatnam. However, England’s coach Brendon McCullum has hinted at going for an all-spin attack in the 2nd test match of the series.
“If the wickets continue to spin as much as what we saw in the first Test as the series goes on, look, we won’t be afraid to play all spinners or a balance of what we’ve got,” said McCullum.
The current coach of England also hinted that rookie spinner Shoaib Bashir who missed the 1st test match due to visa issues is likely to make his debut.
“We’ll have a look at conditions and make a call. You’re not going to get every call right, especially over here - it’s hard to read some of the wickets. But we’ll make a decision and try to commit to that,” he further said.
In the first test, England batsman Ollie Pope produced a masterclass showing how to tackle spin and play every ball to its merit. His 196 was certainly the game-changing moment that titled the game towards England.
By bringing the concept of ‘Bazball’ to the England team, Brendon McCullum has certainly brought a new culture that has given rewards to the England team.
On the other hand, India has been hit badly with the injuries of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja. Sarfaraz Khan is likely to play his maiden test match, after performing consistently in the domestic circuit, on February 2.