3 changes India should make for the 2nd Test vs England

One week ago, no one would've thought that India would be in a position to make wholesale changes to their XI ahead of the second Test against England.

However, the hosts have had a rough start to the series, having lost the first Test by 28 runs in Hyderabad. They were without Virat Kohli, with the former captain withdrawing from the first two games citing personal reasons.

Further injuries have hampered India's cause. Even though they would've entered the first Test looking for stability, they are in need of reinforcements in multiple departments. The fact that they are behind in the series will also prompt a few questions.

India's squad for the second Test vs England: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Saurabh Kumar

Here are three changes India should make for the second Test against England.

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#3 Sarfaraz Khan for KL Rahul

KL Rahul has been ruled out of the second Test with a quad strain.

KL Rahul, who scored a half-century in the first Test against England, has been ruled out of the Vizag encounter with a quad strain. The batter, who offered some stability at No. 4, leaves a massive hole in a middle order that's already without Kohli.

India have two choices to replace Rahul - Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan. While the former has been part of the squad since Kohli's departure, Sarfaraz has been added as cover for Rahul.

Sarfaraz and Patidar are both in excellent form, so it's a touch-and-go call. The 26-year-old should arguably be higher in the pecking order, given the amount of runs he has tallied over the last few years. He has batted at No. 4 for India A and could take to the Test level with ease.

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#2 Kuldeep Yadav for Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj didn't have much luck in Hyderabad.

Mohammed Siraj didn't have much luck in his hometown of Hyderabad, as he went wicketless in the Test. He bowled 11 overs across the two innings as the English openers looked to be aggressive against him and took him for seven runs an over in the first essay.

India might resort to a rank turner in Vizag, so playing an additional spinner at Siraj's expense could be conducive. Kuldeep Yadav, who has an excellent Test record and has been in great form lately, could be the one to step in.

Kuldeep's style of bowling would give the English batters something to think about. Siraj, who wasn't very effective in Hyderabad, will be the natural choice to be dropped.

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#1 Washington Sundar for Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja's hamstring gave way while attempting a quick single.

Ravindra Jadeja usually does the job of two cricketers in India's Test XI, and his absence due to a hamstring injury will be close to impossible to contend with. The all-rounder, who bats at No. 6 and is one of the side's best bowlers, will be sorely missed in the second Test.

Saurabh Kumar is a like-for-like left-arm spin replacement who can also bat a bit, but he should be behind Washington Sundar in the pecking order. The off-spinning all-rounder is a technically sound batter against spin and hasn't done much wrong in his Test career.

India's best bet at replacing Jadeja could be promoting Axar in the batting order while beefing up their lower order with Sundar. Playing two off-spinners might not be the best idea, but the hosts aren't quite in a position to be choosy.