England and India will play the second match of the ongoing bilateral Test series at Lord's Cricket Ground, starting on August 12 (Thursday). The first Test match of the five-match series ended in a stalemate on the last day due to rain, despite the fact that it seemed to be a match on the brink of being decided as India dominated for the most part of the game. Therefore, the second match will be important for both sides in order to attain a series lead. The second match preview of the ENG vs. IND Test Series 2021 is discussed in this article.
ENG vs. IND Test Series 2021: Team News for the Second Match
England
England captain Joe Root scored a superb century in the second innings of the first Test, but he was the only player to exhibit any stability in the batting order. Jonny Bairstow and Sam Curran had contributed with the bat, but their efforts were not good enough to stamp the authority over the Indian bowlers.
England will need to maintain their composure if they want to take control of the second match. England are expected to make two changes for the second Test. Moeen Ali could make the starting lineup. He is a very good all-rounder who can frustrate opposition bowlers by playing a big knock.
England have a strong bowling attack led by veteran pacer James Anderson. The young sensation Ollie Robinson made a strong start to the series and he will play a crucial role for England once more.
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Expected Playing XI (England)
Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Zak Crawley, Joe Root (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Daniel Lawrence, Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Sam Curran, Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
India
The in-form Ravichandran Ashwin was not selected for the first Test because India's playing XI contained four pacers. Ashwin may be featured in the playing XI for the second Test. Ravindra Jadeja will play in the Lord's Test following a strong showing with the bat. Shardul Thakur or Mohammed Siraj may be dropped to make room for Ravi Ashwin. The rest of the players will remain the same in the bowling lineup.
KL Rahul was given the opportunity to play the first match of the series in place of injured Mayank Agarwal. KL Rahul and veteran Rohit Sharma did a good job in the opening partnership. They will once again be important members of India's batting lineup.
All eyes will be on Virat Kohli who made a golden duck in the first innings. Virat will come back strong, and he has the ability to play a great innings on a special cricket ground. Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Rishab Pant will all be vital in the middle order to push the innings to a huge total.
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Expected Playing XI (India)
Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah
Pitch Report, Weather Forecast, and Head to Head Record
The weather appears to be good from the 12th of August to the 16th of August. There will be some clouds, but rain is unlikely. According to some reports, there will be a green top with plenty of grass on the pitch which means the Lord's pitch may favor pacers more than spinners. The two teams have faced 127 times in the Test format. England leads the head-to-head record with 48 victories. India have won 29 games and 50 matches have ended in a draw.
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Verdict
Both England and India will take the series seriously in order to boost their ICC Test rankings. England will definitely want to take its home advantage during the match. It could be a blessing in disguise for India if England produce a pace-friendly surface. Because India have a number of high-quality pacers on their team who can change the scenario of the match. We can expect a tight battle between England and India during the second match of the ENG vs. IND Test Series 2021.
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