While the senior Indian side gears up for their forthcoming Test series in England, India A carry on with their shadow tour through a second unofficial Test fixture. Yet the pick for the second Test has caught several by surprise, as changes have been effected to the playing XI numerous times from left out Sarfaraz Khan to high-profile pick-up KL Rahul.
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KL Rahul Returns
India's seasoned wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul has reported to the India A team in England to get some match exposure before the England vs India Test series on June 20. In a huge development, Rahul has been given a place in the second match's playing XI and entrusted with the task of opening the batting.
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This change has made a direct impact on batting order, and team captain Abhimanyu Easwaran has been pushed down to bat at number three. Rahul's inclusion has come at the expense of Sarfaraz Khan, who was one of the top performers in the first game with a gritty 90-run innings. His omission has sparked surprise, particularly given his consistent batting for India A in recent months.
Bowling Department Also Shuffled
In another surprising move, pace bowler Mukesh Kumar, who took three wickets during the first unofficial Test, has been omitted for the second game. He has been replaced by Khaleel Ahmed, adding a different pace-bowling paradigm to the squad.
On the other hand, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul Thakur have stayed put, while Tanush Kotian has been included in the XI in the spin department. This inclusion saw Harsh Dubey being sidelined, as India A went for a more all-round combination.
India A Playing XI For 2nd Unofficial Test
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran (Captain), Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Tanush Kotian, Anshul Kamboj, Tushar Deshpande, Khaleel Ahmed