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Bumrah unlikely to rest; Sudharsan given Jurel warning as coach hints at India XI for 2nd WI Test

Debashis Sarangi

Jurel emerges as a competitor for Sai Sudharsan [Source: AFP]Jurel emerges as a competitor for Sai Sudharsan [Source: AFP]

India's assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, has stated that the hosts will field an unchanged XI for the upcoming second Test against the West Indies. Led by Shubman Gill, India are set to face the West Indies in the decider of the ongoing two-match home series at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium. Before the match, Doeschate hinted at an unchanged combination, meaning ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah won't likely be rested for the second Test despite the hosts leading the series by 1-0. 

India to go with an unchanged combination, reveals Doeschate

In the pre-match press conference, India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate gave a sneak peek into India's playing XI for the second Test against West Indies, saying the home side will likely go with the same set of players who featured in the previous match in Ahmedabad. 

While his statement hinted at Jasprit Bumrah's participation in the second Test, Doeschate also revealed that India's decision to persist with Nitish Reddy is a part of the larger picture of grooming him into a long-term all-round asset in Test cricket. 

"I'd say we're unlikely to change the combination. One of the sort of medium-term objectives is to develop a seam-bowling allrounder for India, because it's very important when we go away on tours that we have that position covered. We didn't get a very good look at Nitish last week, so I think it's a very good opportunity to give Nitish another go and not alter the balance of the team," Doeschate said, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo. 

Pressure looms on Sai Sudharsan with Dhruv Jurel's rise

B Sai Sudharsan had a torrid start to the West Indies series, managing only seven runs in the first Test. On the other hand, young batter Dhruv Jurel smashed a magnificent century, playing a pivotal role in India's emphatic victory. 

Considering Jurel's red-hot batting form, there's a genuine chance that India might prefer him over Sudharsan as a specialist batter even when Rishabh Pant makes his return to the Test side. 

Ryan ten Doeschate thinks Sai Sudharsan is aware of Jurel's rise, a factor that must motivate him to transform his potential into significant scores in the upcoming matches.  

"I think he is under no illusion and he can't hide away from the fact that you do fight for a spot in this environment, where you saw Karun Nair get four Test matches in England [before getting dropped for the West Indies series]. There are a lot of good players fighting up the hill to whoever has possession of that spot," he said. 


"I'd imagine it does (put pressure on Sai Sudharsan). I think Dhruv showed last week just what a good player he is. We've known that all along, how well [he could] fit into the middle order, and in addition to that, there are other good players who are fighting for a top-three or top-four spot - obviously Shubman [Gill]'s got four nailed down," the assistant coach added.

Considering his statements, we reckon India will stick to their winning combination from the Ahmedabad Test, with Padikkal, Axar, Jagadeesan, and Prasidh Krishna likely to miss out on selection once again.