IND vs NZ 2nd Test: India and New Zealand face selection headaches as host looks to level series on Pune turner

With Sarfaraz Khan in fine form and Shubman Gill back in business, it needs to be seen whether the team management continues to back KL Rahul.

While Sarfaraz and Rahul are locked in a selection battle for the second Test in Pune, Kuldeep could be pipped by Washington to the playing XI. | Photo Credit: PTI/ THE HINDU

Moments after the Indian team arrived at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Wednesday morning for its final training session ahead of the second Test against New Zealand, head coach Gautam Gambhir walked around the pitch to have a closer look.

As his assistant coaches joined in, Gambhir could be seen discussing a thing or two with the curators before heading towards the other end of the ground to oversee the nets session.

Following India’s eight-wicket defeat in the series opener in Bengaluru last week, the team management seems to be busy finding ways to negate the pace attack of the visiting side. No wonder, a bald, low-bounce black-soil pitch is set to be offered when the action gets underway on Thursday.

Apart from misreading the conditions, questions were raised over India’s playing eleven in the Bengaluru Test, prompting the team management to bring in Washington Sundar into the squad, in a possible match-up against New Zealand’s four specialist left-handed batters.

“We just felt that they have four or five left-handers in the playing XI as well. So, if we want another bowler who can take the ball away from the left-handers, it’s always going to be useful for us as well. But we haven’t decided what’s going to be our playing XI,” Gambhir said, adding: “Washington can give us more control and he is a good option for us…”

If Washington, indeed, makes the cut, the seasoned Kuldeep Yadav might have to sit out and it would also be interesting to see whether the team management replaces Mohammed Siraj with Akash Deep as Jasprit Bumrah’s new-ball partner.

There could be selection dilemmas in the middle-order as well. With Sarfaraz Khan in fine form and Shubman Gill back in business, it needs to be seen whether the team management continues to back KL Rahul, who has had an underwhelming campaign so far with scores of 0 and 12.

Sarfaraz, who was recently blessed with a newborn baby, joined the team on the eve of the game and spent a whole lot of time in the nets, alongside Gill.

This fixture is crucial for India to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final without relying on other teams. In case it cannot register a win here, it would need to win four of its six remaining Tests to book a final berth. And ahead of the five Tests in Australia, the team would be hoping to collect those crucial points at home before being put to the test Down Under.

While India faces a selection dilemma, things are no different for New Zealand. On a turning track, the visiting team is expected to bring in either Mitchell Santner or Ish Sodhi as an additional spinner, along with the regular choice Ajaz Patel. In that case, it will have to leave out one of its fast bowlers. In Bengaluru, the pace trio, comprising Tim Southee, Matt Henry and William O’Rourke shared 17 wickets between them. However, the combination is set to change given the nature of the pitch at the Gahunje.

With hardly any turnaround time, it would be important for New Zealand to keep the momentum going and hope for its star batters - captain Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell - to be back among runs.

Interestingly, thrice in the last seven years - in 2017 (against Australia), 2021 and 2024 (both against England) - India has lost the first Test and yet ended up winning the series. 

Once again, as the chips are down, India would be desperate to bounce back.