The first Test match between India and England ended in a crushing loss for the team led by Rohit Sharma, who was expected to dominate the English team on subcontinental surfaces. Aakash Chopra, a former cricket player for India, has advised Team India and the BCCI not to select a rank-turner for the second Test.
Aakash Chopra, a former opener, feels that team India shouldn’t prepare a rank-turner for the second Test match in Visakhapatnam against England because it can backfire. He made note of the poor form of the Indian batting team and expressed the opinion that a good surface would increase the hosts’ chances of winning.
Team India lost to England by 28 runs in Hyderabad and now trails 1-0 in the five-match Test series. The hosts were knocked out for 202 in their second inning while chasing 231. Prior to the second Test, India had also experienced a number of losses. Experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and senior batter KL Rahul have been ruled out due to injuries.
Don’t get overexcited and go for a turning pitch – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra posted a video on his YouTube channel stating that it doesn’t seem wise to prepare a rank-turner for Visakhapatnam considering the current situation of the host team. He mentioned that the team is currently missing a few experienced players.
“There is a problem with self-doubt. If we prepare a good pitch, England play better than us. Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer are in poor form. We do not have Rahul. Virat Kohli was already absent. Ravindra Jadeja, the all-rounder is also not there. Suddenly, you are stuck,” he said.
According to Chopra, a rank-turner gives England’s spinners an equal opportunity to cause damage, negating any advantage for the Indian bowling attack. He acknowledged that England will attack India hard on a good surface, but he suggested the hosts select wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the hopes that he could deceive England’s batters.
“I feel they should play on a good pitch. Don’t get overexcited and go for a turning pitch. Your batters do not have form. In such a situation, the spinners of both sides become equally effective. They do not have accuracy, but how does it matter? Tom Hartley begins bowling like Bishan Bedi , and Joe Root becomes Muttiah Muralitharan,” Aakash Chopra added cheekily.
Of their last three Tests at home, India have lost two and ended one match in a draw- Aakash Chopra
India has lost two and is without a win in their last three home Test matches after the loss in Hyderabad. Before losing to England in Hyderabad, the hosts drew the Ahmedabad Test on a flat surface and lost the rank-turner against Australia in the Indore Test.
Assessing the hosts’ lackluster showings in the last home Test matches, Chopra conceded that there should be some worry.
“Of their last three Tests at home, India have not won even one. In fact, they have lost two, while one match ended in a draw. They prepared a rank turner in Indore and it backfired even though Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were available. India then prepared a flat pitch in Ahmedabad, and the boring match ended in a draw,” Aakash Chopra elaborated.
In Hyderabad, India dominated, taking a 190-run lead into the first inning. Nevertheless, Ollie Pope‘s 196 changed the Test into a different match, and Hartley’s seven-fer on his debut helped England win.
“For Hyderabad, the pitch was a decent one. It could have been better to be fair. Maybe there was a bit too much turn on Day 1. There is bounce and pace in Hyderabad, and I feel there was an attempt to nullify that, which was not ideal,” he added.