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On the other hand, debutant Sai Sudharsan was dismissed for a duck in his first innings but showed some resilience in the second innings, contributing 30 off 48 balls.

Former England captain Alastair Cook has made a significant forecast about India‘s lineup for the second Test, which is set to start on Wednesday, July 2, at Birmingham. India, who are in England for a five-match Test series, are recovering from a loss in the first match at Leeds.

Cook suggested that India may have to leave out either Karun Nair or Sai Sudharsan from the playing XI. He recommended bringing in Nitish Kumar Reddy as an all-rounder, providing an extra bowling option, while also including wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

Karun Nair, in his return to the Indian team, had a disappointing outing, posting scores of 0 and 20 in both innings. On the other hand, debutant Sai Sudharsan was dismissed for a duck in his first innings but showed some resilience in the second innings, contributing 30 off 48 balls.

“They may need to drop either Karun Nair or Sai Sudharsan and include Nitish Kumar Reddy, who can contribute both with the bat and as a backup seam bowler. This would also allow them to bring in Kuldeep Yadav as an additional spinner,” he wrote in his column for The Sunday Times in the UK.

India will be eager to recover from their loss and will feel the pressure to equalise the series in the second Test.

V M Suriya Narayanan is a passionate cricket writer who has been following the game since 2007. With a background in Civil Engineering (B.E.), he blends analytical thinking with a deep understanding of…
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