INDIA V ENGLAND: SECOND TEST PREVIEW

SERIES MOVES EAST TO VISAKHAPATNAM

Suddenly all looks far rosier in the garden of English batting. There’s no one batsman that walks out to the crease and instills you with fear that they are going to nick off at the earliest given opportunity. We shouldn’t get carried away - one confidence-boosting innings doesn’t wipe the 10-wicket collapse at Dhaka from memory - but 537 runs in the first innings and four centurions in the match is not to be sniffed at, however kind the wicket may have been. If we believe the hype, and it is hard not to, England have found their long-term solution to Alastair Cook’s search for an opening partner. Haseeb Hameed could be his last.

There’s cause for optimism in the bowling ranks, too. Adil Rashid appears to have found another level while Jimmy Anderson’s return is on the horizon.

England’s performance at Rajkot was vastly impressive, with former skipper Michael Vaughan telling The Cricketer: “We couldn’t have asked for better from England, it was an incredible performance.”

India will surely find an extra gear going forward. Despite being made to sweat on day five, they will take a shred comfort in the fact that perhaps England’s best isn’t good enough.

Like a thoroughbred that sees its nearest competitor galloping up the outside, can England find an extra gear when India up their pace?

Three to watch

Ben Duckett

To the No.4 position then... Duckett is a truly exciting prospect coming in between Joe Root and Moeen Ali. He looks unfazed but the next four Tests could make or break him with Jos Buttler sat in the hutch. As is Trevor Bayliss’ nature he will be given time, and rightly so.

We know he possesses the gung-ho mindset of Ben Stokes - he attacks the game at the pace of a Japanese Bullet rather than a coal-fired trundler - but does he have the temperament to knuckle down and battle?

Adil Rashid

Rashid has shown in patches he has got the ability, the next step is to prove his consistency. Vaughan believes that mentality rather than talent is Rashid’s biggest demon.

“If England bat well I think Adil will have a really good tour, if they don’t then he will probably go back to the way he bowled in Bangladesh. He has proved he has a chance in Test cricket. I’ve seen him at Yorkshire and when he gets a spring in his and step he’s dangerous. He loses confidence too quickly, but that’s his mentality, he is quite fragile, quite insecure. He needs runs on the board, then he can just relax and fizz ‘em out the hands.”

Hard hands

Unlike a scarecrow, neither side have been outstanding in the field. Yes it’s hotter than Scotch bonnet out there, and the time in the field is long, but them’s the rigours of international Test cricket.

Virat Kohli was quick to address the issue in his post-match interview, conceding that you simply cannot drop catches on such a batting paradise. Not naming names, the captain was probably addressing his wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha who put down a couple of comfortable chances. If India are to probe England’s middle order naiveties, basic fielding is going to be central to that.

As has been a recurring theme over the past twelve months, England hardly astonished their critics in the field either. Undoubtedly one of their chief present weaknesses. Alastair Cook did his side no favours in dropping tail-ender Mohammed Shami who occupied the crease for an extra seven overs, taking valuable time out of the game and adding a further 28 runs alongside Ravi Ashwin. Had the skipper taken that catch, Cook may have felt less pressure to add runs and consequently had more overs to have a go at the Indian batsmen. Oh hindsight you wonderful, maddening thing.

And overthrows. Surely no more overthrows. If England can get through this Test without any of their newly found disturbance, they can consider it a victory of sorts. 

Teams

India (probable): 1. Vijay 2. Rahul 3. Pujara 4. Kohli* 5. Rahane 6. Ashwin 7. Saha+ 8. Jadeja 9. Yadav 10. Shami 11. Mishra

India welcome back Lokesh Rahul from injury, which is likely to call time on Gautam Gambhir’s series, and maybe his career. Rahul warmed up for Vizag with knocks of 76 and 106 for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy.

England (probable): 1. Cook* 2. Hameed 3. Root 4. Duckett 5. Moeen 6. Stokes 7. Bairstow+ 8. Woakes 9. Ansari 10. Rashid 11. Broad

The sight of Jimmy Anderson gliding majestically through the crease is one for sore eyes. England must be tempted to unleash their leading Test wicket-taker at Vizag. However, with spin expected to play a larger role they are unlikely to switch from the three spin, three seam attack; with Stuart Broad or Chris Woakes the most likely and unfortunate candidates to make way if Anderson is to return.

Pitch and conditions

It’s going to turn with murmurings that it will do so from day two, certainly we'd expect to see spin causing more problems than at Rajkot. Three weeks ago India skittled New Zealand for 79 at Vizag in the fifth and final ODI with Amit Mishra claiming five for 18.

Weather

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/1253102

Where to follow

Watch: Sky Sports 2, coverage starts 3:30am, play begins 04.00am.

Listen: Listen live to Test Match Special on BBC Five Live Sports Extra.

Odds

England are 11/4 to win the second Test - you can join bet365 for the best odds via this link – get a 100% bonus on your first deposit!

Photo credits: AFP