India XI for India vs England 2nd Test: Harbhajan picks IND Playing 11

As India gears up for the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam, former cricketer Harbhajan Singh has shared his insights on the ideal playing XI for the upcoming match. With Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul sidelined, the team management faces the challenge of finding suitable replacements.

India XI for India vs England 2nd Test

Harbhajan Singh, in a video posted on his YouTube channel, expressed his preference for Sarfaraz Khan over Rajat Patidar to fill the void left by KL Rahul. Singh emphasized Sarfaraz’s impressive recent form in domestic cricket, highlighting his noteworthy performances against England Lions.

“I think Sarfaraz should play. He has been scoring a lot of runs in domestic cricket. He performed well in the games against England Lions as well,” said Harbhajan Singh.

Despite recent struggles with the bat, Harbhajan Singh backed Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer for the crucial number 3 and 4 positions, urging them to step up in the absence of KL Rahul. Singh acknowledged the pressure on Gill and Iyer, stating, “[Shubman] Gill and [Shreyas] Iyer haven’t scored many runs in the last 10 innings. A lot is expected from them, and hopefully, they will perform. With KL [Rahul] not in the team, the responsibility is now even more on these two.”

In terms of the bowling attack, Harbhajan Singh recommended a spin-heavy strategy, advocating for the inclusion of four spinners—Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar. He suggested that, given the expected turning conditions, only Jasprit Bumrah should serve as the lone pacer in the lineup.

“The pitch is likely to turn, and if it is worse than Hyderabad, then we might see more spin, and only [Jasprit] Bumrah might play as a pacer,” added Harbhajan.

As the cricketing world awaits the IND vs ENG 2nd Test, Harbhajan Singh’s insights into team composition add an interesting dimension to the discussion, leaving fans eager to see how the Indian team management approaches the crucial match in Visakhapatnam.