Guwahati, Nov 21: India skipper Shubman Gill is likely to be replaced by Sai Sudharsan in the second Test against South Africa and spin bowling all-rounder Axar Patel and seam bowling all-rounder Nitish Reddy will fight for the other slot available in the playing eleven for the game starting here Saturday.The Indian team management has kept the media guessing but Rishabh Pant is set to become India’s 38th Test captain.
This brings us the question of possible changes to the Indian playing eleven on a Barsapara Stadium track that could be slightly better compared to the Eden strip.
It remains to be seen if grass is shaved off from the top and whether the two BCCI curators Taposh Chatterjee and Ashish Bhowmick once again make use of scrubbers which can lead to loosening up of top soil, creating uneven bounce.
If one looks at Gill’s replacement, the best bet among the reserved seemed to be Sudharsan, who has already played five Tests but with very little to show for his efforts.
In terms of talent, there is not much to choose between Padikkal and Sudharsan with both being left-handers.
One of the interesting aspects will be the No.3 slot where Sudharsan batted in earlier games. However the more experienced Washington did a fair job across both innings.
In that case, Sudharsan can bat at No.6, allowing Washington to settle in his new position.
The second part of the jigsaw puzzle is whether playing four spinners is a luxury and obviously on diabolical surfaces, one will certainly be under-bowled.
Even though Axar Patel batted well in the second innings in Kolkata, when it comes to choice as a spinner, he is way behind Kuldeep Yadav, who loses out because of his inferior batting.
But in case, the grass is persisted with, keeping the bind of red soil track intact, then Nitish Reddy, who also is a right-hander will come into the equation.
All eyes are on the surface at Barsapara Stadium as Guwahati prepares to host its maiden Test, with early indications suggesting a red-soil pitch carrying a fair layer of grass. The track, watered on Thursday afternoon, is expected to provide consistent bounce and hold together over the first two days before gradually assisting spin.
Unlike the extreme behaviour of the Eden Gardens pitch, which crumbled far earlier than expected during the first Test, team officials expect a more stable surface here. The grass cover is likely to be trimmed before the match, and curators are aiming for a wicket that allows both seamers and spinners to work for their rewards rather than dominate through unpredictable conditions.