India vs England 2020-21: India faces tough task in 2nd Test

Host India has an arduous task at hand. It eyes a comeback against visitor England in the second Test for the Anthony de Mello Trophy at the MA Chidambaram (Chepauk) Stadium in Chennai, from Saturday.

Having lost the opening Test at the same venue, India just cannot afford another a loss, as doing so would cease its chances of making it to the final of the ICC World Test Championship. Meanwhile, England would be looking to move in with a similar winning momentum, as it eyes the WTC final spot as well. in the same light, we present the match preview.

Current form
As for the current form, the momentum is clearly with England. Not just that it has won the opening Test, but is coming off a 2-0 clean sweep in Sri Lanka, as it is well aware and accustomed to the sub-continental conditions so far. As for India, although it is coming off a winning performance in Australia, it is on a four-game losing streak under Virat Kohli's captaincy, which is indeed a worry for the side as well as the skipper and the management.

Team composition and combination
The team composition would remain the same for India from the opening Test, with a batting-heavy side. Furthermore, it was its batting that led to its downfall in the opening Test. As for its bowling, there are nine of them. While India moved in with a spin-heavy attack, it could be a balanced one for this game.

As for England, it too has more batsmen, as they pounced on the opportunity and came up with a phenomenal performance. As for their bowling, although its spin attack was relatively inexperienced, it managed to do well on the turning track of Chennai. A similar combination is expected for the visitor as well from the opening Test.

Injury concerns
India has no injury concerns, as all the players are raring to go despite a tough defeat in the opening Test. However, England has suffered a setback, with premium pacer Jofra Archer suffering an elbow injury and subsequently being ruled out for the Test. Expect either of Olly Stone or all-rounder Chris Woakes to replace him.

Head-to-head
As for their head-on clashes, England is traditionally ahead, winning 48 of the 123 Tests between the two. Meanwhile, in India, the sides have played 61 Tests, with India winning 19 and losing 14. In Chennai, of the ten Tests, India has won five and lost four.

Weather and pitch report
The weather in Chennai would be clear and pleasant, with temperature likely to be around 30 degrees. As for the track, while the first Test saw a flat deck, the spinners were practical nonetheless. As for the second, it is likely to have some amount of grass. Also, unlike the first Test, where the pitch was made of red soil, the second Test track will combine the red and black cotton soil. The latter tends to degrade fast, as the pitch could turn right from Day 1 for the spinners. Thus, once again, the sides could move in with a spin-heavy or a balanced bowling attack.

Probable XI
India: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel/Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma 
England: Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Dan Lawrence, Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes (wk), Chris Woakes/Olly Stone, Ollie Pope, Dominic Bess/Moeen Ali, Jack Leach and Stuart Broad.

Fantasy XI
Batsmen: Gill, Kohli, Root- The batting comprises of Gill and Kohli, who can consolidate on the top, while Root is a no-brainer, owing to his deadly form of late.
Wicketkeeper: Pant- The only guy that fits perfectly in this department is Pant. While he played a brave knock of 91 in the opening game, he is expected to do even better in the second.
All-rounders: Sundar, Ashwin, Stokes- All the three were in decent form in the opening game. While Sundar and Stokes are likely to be more effective with their batting, Ashwin would nail it with his off-spins.
Bowlers: Kuldeep, Bumrah, Bess, Leach- Bumrah is a must among the pacers, while the other three happen to be spinners. Bess and Leach were effective in claiming wickets, while if Kuldeep gets a chance, being a chinaman spinner, he could seize it on the turning tracks of Chennai.

Players to watch out
Rohit: The senior opener has not been in the best of his forms in the past couple of Tests. Management would want him to give the right start, along with the talented Gill.
Bumrah: The pacer played his first Test in India in the opening Test, but was not that effective. Kohli would rely on his yorkers, as India would look to rattle the English batsmen as early as possible.
Root: The English skipper has been deadly with the bat, as he scored a fine double hundred in the first Test. Once again, England would back him to come up with a similar batting performance to pile pressure on the Indians.
Broad: Filling in for Anderson, Broad would also have a task at hand to replicate the latter's feat. Known for his sheer pace and prolific seam, England would expect him to come handy in this.

Match details
Date and day: February 13, 2021 (Saturday)
Venue: MA Chidambaram (Chepauk) Stadium, Chennai
Time: 9:30 AM IST
Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Hindi (Also available in HD, along with regional languages)
Where to watch (Online): Hotstar