India seamer Mohammed Siraj wasn’t named in the XI for the second India-England Test, with the BCCI revealing that he had been released from the squad for the Visakhapatnam fixture.
What changes have India made for the second Test?
One-nil behind in the five-Test series, India made three changes for the second Test, two of which were forced swaps due to injury. Rajat Patidar earned his maiden Test cap as a replacement for KL Rahul (out with a quadriceps injury), while Ravindra Jadeja (hamstring injury) was replaced by Kuldeep Yadav.
The third change came in the form of Siraj, who was replaced by Mukesh Kumar as the second seamer for India, alongside Jasprit Bumrah.
Why is Siraj not playing?
At the toss, captain Rohit Sharma revealed that Siraj had been excluded from the XI, stating that he had been rested keeping in mind the amount of cricket he has played in recent times. Later, the BCCI released a statement, further elaborating on the change:
Mr Mohd. Siraj has been released from the India squad for the second Test against England in Vizag. The decision was taken keeping in mind the duration of the series and the amount of cricket he has played in recent times.
India have won the toss and will bat first in Vizag.
Rajat Patidar will make his Test debut for the hosts, with Kuldeep Yadav and Mukesh Kumar also coming into the XI. Mohammed Siraj has been rested.#INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/PE5gs18ZCb
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 2, 2024
He will be available for selection for the third Test in Rajkot. Avesh Khan has re-joined the team for the 2nd Test.
Avesh Khan had previously been released from the squad earlier to play the Ranji Trophy, but has now been called back.
How much cricket has Siraj played recently?
Siraj was one of two seamers for India in the first Test but only played a peripheral role, with India relying more on their three spinners on a pitch that turned more as the game unfolded.
In the first innings, Siraj bowled four overs, going for 28 runs, and sent down seven overs in the second innings, giving away 22.
In the last 12 months, Siraj has played nine out of 11 Tests, 20 out of 29 ODIs and two out of 20 T20Is for India.
You can follow the second India-England Test live score here.
