Axar in place of Nadeem?

The only change expected in the Indian squad for the second Test against England

India-England Test Series

Talented all-rounder Akshar Patel has fully recovered from injury. Therefore, for the second Test match against England, left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem has been replaced by Akshar in the Indian team.

In the first Test at Chennai, India lost by 227 runs. Therefore, the only change is expected in the form of a letter in the Indian team, which is trailing 0-1 in the four-match series. The second Test between India and England will start on Saturday, February 13.

Akshar, who bowled and batted with his left hand, was to be named in the squad for the first Test of the series. But before the coin toss, Nadeem was included in the final 11 due to an injury to his left knee during practice. But Nadeem failed to impress.

"The team management is relieved that Akshar has recovered from the injury. The character can be useful for spinners to prevent runs by bowling at the same stage for a long time on a nutritious pitch. Apart from that, he can also contribute well in batting. But captain Virat Kohli will take a final decision soon, "said a BCCI official.

Criticism on stay by Manjrekar

Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has criticized India's Test team vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane. Manjrekar has expressed frustration over Rahane's failure to impress at bat despite India's successful lead in the Test series against Australia. "The only complaint I have about staying as a captain is because of his batting. After scoring a century in the second Test against Australia in Melbourne, Rahane has scored 27 *, 22, 4, 37, 24, 1 and 0 respectively. Great players elevate their performance after a century. But Rahane is coming under pressure, "tweeted Manjrekar.

Kohli slips to fifth

Dubai: For the first time in three years, Virat Kohli has slipped to fifth position in the ICC World Test rankings. England captain Joe Root has moved up two places to third. Kohli is fifth with 852 points, followed by New Zealand's Ken Williamson with 919 points. It is followed by Steve Smith (891), Root (883) and Marnus Lubushen (878). In bowling, India's spinner Ashwin is seventh with 771 points, while Jaspreet Bumra is eighth with 769 points.