In a surprising twist, KL Rahul has been left out of India’s playing XI for the second Test against New Zealand in Pune. Shubman Gill has taken his place after recovering from a fitness issue. Rahul’s poor performance in the first Test, where he scored 0 and 12, led to his exclusion.
Despite Gautam Gambhir’s support for Rahul, the selectors chose to go with Gill. Gambhir stressed the importance of team belief and confidence in the leadership group. Rahul’s struggles to convert good starts into big scores have been a cause for concern.
India made two more changes to their lineup, with Washington Sundar and Akash Deep coming in for Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj respectively. Sundar’s all-rounder credentials and Akash Deep’s pace aim to strengthen the team.
Rohit Sharma acknowledged the tough decision to drop Rahul but expressed confidence in the team’s ability to bounce back. The Pune pitch is expected to favor spinners, with New Zealand opting to bat first after winning the toss.
India will rely on key players like Sharma, Kohli, and Ashwin to turn the series around, while New Zealand looks to capitalize on their momentum. The playing XIs for both teams have been finalized, with India hoping their changes will pay off and New Zealand aiming for another victory.
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