Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul will miss the second Test against England, set to commence on February 2 in Visakhapatnam. Jadeja sustained a hamstring injury during the fourth day of the first Test in Hyderabad, while Rahul reported discomfort in his right quadriceps, as confirmed by the BCCI.
In their absence, India has included Sarfaraz Khan, Saurabh Kumar, and Washington Sundar in the squad. Saurabh Kumar, a left-arm spinner from Uttar Pradesh with 290 first-class wickets at an average of 24.41, has previously been part of the India Test squad but is yet to make his debut, having been selected for the tour of Bangladesh in December 2022.
He joins the squad in stellar form, having clinched a five-wicket haul in the second innings of India A's recent victory against England Lions. Additionally, Sarfaraz showcased his batting prowess with a remarkable 161 runs off 160 balls in the same match. Ollie Pope and Tom Hartley orchestrated England's impressive comeback, securing a thrilling 28-run victory against India in the opening Test at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Despite India's initial dominance with a 190-run lead, Pope's magnificent 196 and Hartley's debut 7-62 restricted India to 202 all out in their chase of 231. Rohit Sharma top-scored for India with 39 in the second innings, but efforts by Ravichandran Ashwin and Srikar Bharat to extend the match fell short.
