India vs England Highlights, 2nd Test, Day 1: India 300/6 at Stumps

Test debut for Axar Patel

England (Playing XI): Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Daniel Lawrence, Joe Root(c), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes(w), Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, Olly Stone

BIG NEWS: Kuldeep Yadav is playing. Jasprit Bumrah has been rested.

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant(w), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj

Virat Kohli wins toss, opts to bat

FANS ARE BACK!

India's XI: If India are to contest the World Test Championship final, they cannot afford to lose this Test. (A 2-1 or 3-1 series win is needed.) And Axar Patel has been declared fit after missing the series opener with a knee injury. But will the hosts go in with wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav as an attacking option? Ten minutes to the toss.

The England XI: Both Jofra Archer (elbow injury) and Jimmy Anderson (replaced by Stuart Broad to manage the players' workload) are missing, with Chris Woakes or Olly Stone likely to partner Broad. Also, Moeen Ali takes the place of spinner Dom Bess, England's highest wIcket-taker in the first innings of the first Test. Finally, Ben Foakes will don the wicketkeeping gloves instead of Jos Buttler.

The crowd: Fans will return to a cricket match for the first time in the country since the Covid-19 outbreak. Crowds up to 50% capacity of the Chepauk have been allowed for the match, with access also allowed to stands I, J and K — which had been locked for over nine years over disputes between the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and the local municipality.

The pitch: After toiling on a slow and flat track in the opening Test, spinners are likely to get serious purchase as the pitch is expected to take turn as early as the first day. And it may crumble and deteriorate more easily because of the nature of the soil being used for it. As per reports, it would have a base comprising red soil and a top layer comprising black cotton soil. Under dry conditions, the top layer, primarily made of black clay, will start to disintegrate faster.

Here's what the pitch looks like

India (squad): Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur

England (squad): Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Olly Stone.

The second Test will be played on a black soil pitch that has not been watered for days.

The key to India will be stopping Joe Root who scored a double century and helped England build a huge total. Root's 218 had helped England score 578 and put pressure on India who conceded a 241-run lead in the first innings and were put on the backfoot.

India, meanwhile, are likely to replace left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem with Axar Patel who is now fit to play. Axar was injured in the first Test which England won by 227 runs.

One of either Chris Woakes or Olly Stone will replace Jofra Archer who is out with a shoulder niggle.

James Anderson has been replaced by Stuart Broad as part of rotation policy, Dom Bess has been left out due to poor form in second innings of first Test and replaced by Moeen Ali while wicket-keeper Ben Foakes comes in place of Jos Buttler who has flown back to England also as part of the rotation policy.