After Kohli slams ‘green’ Rajkot pitch, Vizag promises to be spinners’ paradise

“Hopefully I can continue from where I left off from Kanpur and go from strength to strength”.

The 28-year-old also confirmed that Lokesh Rahul will replace Gautam Gambhir as the opening partner for Murali Vijay. The said average is the highest by an Indian batsman in the fourth innings in Tests (minimum 500 runs). “Since match is happening close to Vizag (at Vizaianagaram), it’s good to have him in the squad and he is available for selection”, Kumble elaborated.

“But we did say before Bangladesh that seven Tests in eight weeks this winter would be hard and we would change guys but I’m not envisaging any changes”. India have won most of their Test matches in recent times by adopting such a strategy. He has played here before. The last time he played in a game was in August so you’re weighing up that against guys who have been out here for seven weeks and also against Woakes as well. “You have to be selective and you need to concentrate a lot”, he said.

Though Indian batsmen looked steady, England bowlers have been successful in picking up Indian wickets in regular intervals.

Kohli seemed to be pretty disappointed with his team’s fielding efforts in the previous match, going on to state that the team’s chief priority will be to improve their fielding and catching. I was at the bench for two Tests in the West Indies and then sat out for the New Zealand Test series.

In 23 Ranji Trophy matches played at Rajkot, teams batting first have posted in excess of 550 on eight occasions – that’s in more than one third of the matches. Shami and Umesh bowled exceptionally well. It is not that they got fifers or completely turned the game around. “Just now we are going in with a few heads with what we are going to do”, said Cook.

“I think if you look at only aspect, where we probably we let ourselves down is catching”. We have done really well in all the three departments in the last three and a half months that I have been part of this team or before that.

Last week at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Ground, R Ashwin had to settle for only three wickets in 69.3 overs and Amit Mishra conceded upwards of four runs per over in both innings.

With these factors in mind, there could be pressure situations that the Indian team will have to tackle like when they had to bat and save the first Test. “He has always told me that I am a wicket-taking bowler”.