Virat Kohli is back with India’s red ball side for 2nd Test in a must-win game against Black Caps

India’s Test skipper Virat Kohli is back after taking a prolonged break post-T20 World Cup will be eyeing to win the 2^nd and last Test match of the series against Black Caps as the first match ended in a draw at Kanpur. There were several questions raised on Rahane’s captaincy as the latter went for a defensive approach in the last few overs rather than attacking Black Cap’s lower-order batters.

As Kohli is back for 2^nd match, the question arises who will he replace for the second and final test, and considering the current form he can easily replace any of these three players which include the likes of  Mayank Agarwal, Pujara, and Rahane.

However, considering the performance in the 1^st Test match, it is expected that a few more changes can be employed for the 2^nd Test as the likes of Ishant Sharma can be easily replaced with Mohammad Shiraj. Taking about India-New Zealand series so far, Men in Blue registered victory against Black Caps by 3-0 under the leadership of Rohit Sharma and Test matches so far have been evenly balanced with one more to go in Mumbai.

It will be interesting to witness that whether the pitch prepared for Mumbai Test will be assisting fast bowlers or spinners as both teams have good bowlers in their armory. The way New Zealand played in 1st Test match showed the resilience and strength of this side who is wonderfully led by talismanic skipper Kane Williamson.  Their fast bowling trio which includes the likes of Wagner, Jamieson, and Southee has taken wickets across all over the world. 

Their spinners including the likes of Ajaz Patel, Mitchell Santner, and Rachin Ravindra are not big names but the kind of variation they have in their bowling can easily dismantle any batting lineup of the world.