England claimed a stunning victory over India in the opening game of their five-match series and they are aiming to build on that success in Friday's second Test in Visakhapatnam (04:00).
The tourists have won 14 of their 19 Tests under captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum but they will be braced for a fightback from Rohit Sharma's India, who are clear favourites to square the series in Vizag.
- England to win second Test
- Joe Root to be player of the match
- Axar Patel top India first-innings bowler
Depleted Hosts Look Vulnerable
England's brilliant 28-run win in Hyderabad was only India's fourth defeat in their last 48 home Test matches, but the hosts look uneasy favourites to win the second match of the series.
Star batter Virat Kohli had already ruled himself out of the first two Tests for personal reasons and he has been joined on the sidelines by the injured Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul.
Jadeja's absence is a huge jolt to the balance of the India team. He averages 40 with the bat and 21 with the ball in home Tests and England, buoyed by their success in the series opener, will be determined to take advantage.
India's aura of invincibility was shattered by their collapse in the first Test, when debutant Tom Hartley took seven wickets in the second innings, and England are worth backing to go 2-0 up despite spinner Jack Leach's injury.
With Rahul out, the hosts must shuffle their middle-order and the scratchy batting form of skipper Rohit and Shubman Gill further boosts England's chances.
Root Capable Of All-Round Heroics
Ollie Pope's sensational 196 in the second innings propelled England to their comeback victory in the first Test, where star batter Joe Root had a quiet game with the willow.
Root made 29 and two, becoming the leading Test runscorer against India in the process, and he will be determined to contribute more significant scores in Visakhapatnam.
He was averaging 50 in India before the start of this series and is certainly capable of matchwinning innings in these conditions, scoring 218 and 40 in England's victory in Chennai in the first Test of the 2021 series.
However, he also has an important role to play with the ball, so backing him to be player of the match in the second Test looks a good strategy.
Root claimed his best first-class figures of 5-8 in Ahmedabad in 2021 and was England's leading bowler in the first innings in Hyderabad, finishing with 4-79 from 29 impressive overs of spin.
Axar Primed To Put England In A Spin
Jadeja's injury should mean more responsibility for his fellow left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who was the scourge of England's batters in the 2021 series.
Axar took 27 wickets in just three matches during that tour, at an average of 10.59, and he should be backed to be India's top first-innings bowler in the second Test.
He was overshadowed by Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin in the opening game, but still took three wickets, dismissing Ben Foakes in each innings and bowling Jonny Bairstow with a ripper.
Axar has been used sparingly by Rohit in recent Tests, but he started his career with first-innings figures of 2-40, 6-38, 4-68 and 5-62 against England and New Zealand and should enjoy plenty of assistance from the pitch in Vizag.
AXAR PATEL TOP INDIAN FIRST-INNINGS BOWLER
