After a comprehensive win in the series opener, an upbeat India will look to assert its supremacy over an inexperienced West Indies with yet another commanding show in the second cricket Test at Sabina Park.
The ‘Men In Blue’ made a confident start in their 2016-17 test season, recording India’s biggest win outside the sub-continent when they thrashed the hosts by an innings and 92 runs in the Antigua Test. The former world no 1 will look to pick up from where they left in first test match.
But a green pitch awaits the visitors at Sabina Park which might make the life a lot more difficult as compared to the first test.
Green Pitch May Balance Equation for Hosts
It was way back in 2008 when a Test lasted five days at Sabina Park which Australia won by 98 runs. Since then, five Tests have taken place here and all of them have finished within four days, including India’s 63-run win in 2011. The hosts played the last Test here against Australia in the summer of 2015, and that match finished past lunch on the fourth day.
Given the very evident gulf between the two teams at present, the grassy wicket should expedite matters in this forthcoming match as well. While it is tough to say which team will be happier to see the green pitch, the hosts will surely feel that the equation will perhaps be more balanced.
The big win in Antigua doesn’t mean India will be complacent going into the second Test. The big difference in conditions on offer will obviously hinder any such thoughts, as will the fact that there are still three more Tests to go on this tour and their job has only just begun.
Vijay’s Injury Might Give Rahul a Chance
Uncertainty lies over Vijay’s availability in the second Test as still there is no confirmation on where he is fit enough to play or not. The opener has been missing action since being hit on his thumb by Shannon Gabriel on the first morning of the series, and didn’t field for a single minute in the West Indies’ two innings during the first test.
In the lead-up to the second Test, Vijay batted a bit in the nets on Wednesday but skipped the optional practice session on Thursday. But the question remains, whether the team management would be willing to risk playing Vijay when they have another opener available in KL Rahul, who scored runs in the practice games ahead of the Test series.
Binny in for Mishra?
The other issue is about the team combination, and whether skipper Virat Kohli will opt for a five bowler attack once again. During the home series against South Africa in 2015, he had moved away from this strategy when faced with difficult wickets.
At the same time, on a greenish wicket against Sri Lanka, he had opted for Stuart Binny. If West Indies do pick another pacer, or even two more, an additional full-time batsman would mark a conservative selection on Kohli’s part, especially since India’s three front-line batsmen – Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane – contributed only 45 out of 566 runs in Antigua.
At the same time, Kohli also has to think about his bowlers’ workload in what will prove to be a long season. Playing a full-time batsman will mean added overs for his three pacers and one less bowler to choose from. And so it could tempt him to go in with Binny instead, who provides him a medium-pace option as well as adds to the lower middle-order.
Either way, Amit Mishra is expected to sit out in Jamaica as his spin partner Ravichandran Ashwin’s shone bright in the first Test with his all-round performance.
The second test match will start on 30 July at 8:30 pm IST.
(With inputs from PTI)
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