Should India consider bringing in Umesh Yadav if the weather conditions in rain-hit Pune are conducive for pacers, asks Harish Kotian.
Rohit Sharma made a smashing comeback to Test cricket, hitting twin centuries in his first match as opener in Test matches, to guide India to a comprehensive 203 run victory against South Africa in the series opener in Visakhapatnam.
The second Test in Pune starts on Thursday and India would be expected to retain their winning combination, but the conditions could make things interesting for the team management.
Pune's pitch came in for criticism during the last Test hosted at this venue in February. The match lasted only three days, with the spinners taking a total of 31 wickets between them. The wicket was also rated 'poor' by the International Cricket Council.
This time around, the pitch could be more suited to fast bowlers with Pune experiencing continuous rain in recent days.
Will India then go in with the same combination or will the team management add another fast bowler to suit the conditions?
The strong showing by the openers in Visakhapatnam will no doubt make the team management think about adding a pace bowler in place of a specialist batsman.
Do you think India should bring in fast bowler Umesh Yadav in place of a spinner or a batsman?
What do you think India's playing XI be for the second Test, starting in Pune on Thursday?
Please click the boxes below to pick your Indian team for the Pune Test:
