Virat Kohli’s replacement Patidar has to be replaced. Sarfaraz vs Patidar, who replaces Jadeja? India’s selection conundrums

India vs England Test: Two days after India’s painful loss in the first Test match against England in Hyderabad by 28 runs, they find themselves in a bit of a muddle. After the opening match, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and batter KL Rahul have been ruled out of the second Test between England and India.

The 2nd Test match will be held on February 2 in Visakhapatnam. The reason star players leave the series is that Jadeja is facing a hamstring injury, while the batter is complaining of quadriceps pain. Furthermore, the star batter Virat Kohli also decided to miss the first two Test matches against England for personal reasons.

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However, Rajat Patidar was appointed as Virat Kohli’s replacement for the initial two Tests against England. The new changes leave captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid searching for four key factors about the playing XI. They are finding the right people for the new replacements.

Who will replace Virat Kohli’s replacement KL Rahul at No.4?

As Rajat Patidar was selected as Kohli’s replacement, then it means that the Indian team management sees him as the number 4 player in Tests. Since KL Rahul played at Number 4, Patidar will be the first contender for that spot.

The Madhya Pradesh batter scored consecutive centuries against the England Lions in a two-day practice game as well as a four-day class match. Rahul was one of the Indian batters who scored more than 80 in the opening Test at No.4 position.

Hence, with no option, Shreyas Iyer will be elevated to the role. India would trust the batter to play to his strength against the spinners.

Will Shubman Gill continue?

Gill was called the next superstar of Indian cricket after Kohli. His performance in the red-ball cricket has come under the scanner. Since his knock of 128 against Australia in March 2023, Gill has gone 11 innings with even a fifty, his best score being a 36 against South Africa.

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In the first Test in Hyderabad, Gill managed to score 23 and 0 in two innings. With India lacking options, Gill will probably have one last time go in the Vishakhapatnam Test. He might have to make way for Rohit and Kohli, who will be back for the third match.

Who will replace Ravindra Jadeja?

The most significant worry for the second Test will be the replacement of Ravindra Jadeja. Since 2026, no other all-rounder has averaged over 40 with the bat and under 25 with the ball across 53 Test matches.

Although there is no correct swap, Kuldeep Yadav could be a straight replacement, given he was the spare spinner in the squad. He also has an impressive figure of 34 wickets at 21.55 since his debut in 2017.

Adding the chinaman would mean India would head into the second Test with a weak batting line-up. However, it could be an option if Vizag dishes out a rank-turner.

The other option is replacing Siraj with Kuldeep and choosing between Sundar or Saurabh in place of Jadeja.

Will Sarfaraz Khan make his debut?

BCCI’s announcement on Monday concluded Sarfaraz Khan’s long wait for a maiden India call-up, having constantly knocked on the selector’s door over the last few years with consistent domestic performances.

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Recently, he scored 160 off 161 last week, in an unofficial four-day Test between India A and England Lions, where he was named the Player of the Match. While India would want to tap in on his form, Rajat Patidar is likely to be the first-choice batter, having been added to the squad as Kohli’s replacement before the first Test.

However, if India opts to go the England way and pick just one fast bowler, probably rest Mohammed Siraj, who bowled only 11 overs across two innings, then both could be cut.