The India vs New Zealand encounter is poised for a close finish on Day 5. Meanwhile, the discussions have started on the Indian XI for the next game. It was announced previously that Virat Kohli would return for the fixture and will also captain the squad. There are a couple of players who might face the axe for the Mumbai match. The game in Mumbai will start on December 3rd. In this article, we take a look at one player who might get dropped when Virat Kohli returns for the next Test in Mumbai.
India and New Zealand game is poised for a close finish on Day 5
Although the tide was shifting towards the Kiwi side at the start of Day 4, Team India managed to pull it back. The valuable contributions by Shreyas Iyer, R Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha has ensured that India has a good chance of extracting a win out of the game.
New Zealand has also lost the wicket of Will Young, which is likely to trouble them on Day 5. That said, the Kiwi side includes a few experienced players like Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson. Hence, we can expect a close finish.
One player who might be dropped when Virat Kohli returns for the next Test
Mayank Agarwal is likely to be the player who might have to sit out for the second match. At the moment, it seems that the management is trying to give a long rope to the under firing20 Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. With the South Africa Tour coming up, the seniors have to be in a good mental space. Hence, Mayank could be the unlucky player.
The Karnataka opener has anyways not done justice to his spot recently. He last scored a fifty way back in February 2020. Yes, he has not got many chances, but in recent games, he looks vulnerable. Therefore, he might be dropped. Cheteshwar Pujara could move up the order and play the role of the opener. Virat Kohli might play at No.3 and the rest of the batting order might remain the same.
