After being 0-1 down in the five-match series, India are looking to bounce back in the second Test at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, in Visakhapatnam. The Men in Blue were outclassed at their own den in the series opener in Hyderabad with a special effort from Ollie Pope and Tom Hartley to turn the tables after being pushed to the wall. Indian team have more troubles with key players - KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja not part of the second Test.
In what will be the first time in more than 12-year history of Indian cricket, the Men in Blue will step onto the field of cricket without both Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja not part of a home Test match. The duo have been regular with the team for more than a decade and have played crucial roles in the wins. However, this will be a rare occasion that both of these players will not take the field in a home Test match.
The last time India stepped onto the field without the presence of both of them was against West Indies in November 2011. Ever since at least one of them has played a Test at home for the Men in Blue.
Currently, Ravindra Jadeja is nursing a hamstring injury that he picked up on day 4 of the first Test against England. He pulled up the injury when he got run out in India's run-chase of 231. India were at 119/5 and Jadeja was playing on 2 when he set off for a single off Joe Root's delivery. He hit the ball mid-on to take a quick single but the England captain's acrobatic skills found the Indian all-rounder short. He clutched his hamstring as he walked back towards the pavilion. Meanwhile, Kohli remains absent due to personal reasons. He pulled out from the first two Tests of the series due to unknown personal reasons.
