Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has named Rajat Patidar and Kuldeep Yadav as his replacements for KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja in his playing XI for the second Test against England. The match will begin in Vizag on Friday (February 2). Manjrekar said that Patidar should play ahead of Sarfaraz Khan since he was part of the India squad for the first Test. He further added that Kuldeep Yadav will be a like-to-like replacement in the spin department and added that there are benefits of playing the left-arm wrist spinner.

Manjrekar told ESPNCricinfo: “Rajat Patidar because he’s the one you got to go back to how the hierarchy was when the squad was chosen. So, Rajat Patidar comes in for KL Rahul. Kuldeep Yadav walks in straightaway for Jadeja. Go for a pure spinner. I mean, Jadeja is a pure left-arm spinner. He’s gonna be completely different from what England faced in the first Test match. So, it won’t be that easy to play the reverse sweep and the switch reverse sweep or the normal sweep against [him].”

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However, Patidar has scored 4000 runs in 55 first-class matches which came at an average of 45.97, including 12 tons and 22 fifties. Meanwhile, Kuldeep has bagged 34 wickets in eight Tests, including three fifers and two four-wicket hauls as well. And, Sanjay Manjrekar is further concerned with an inexperienced Indian batting lineup as KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja have been ruled out for the second Test against England.

“Yes, this is the sternest examination of India’s home dominance in the longest time. To be fair, this Indian batting unit that we have for this series is a unit in transition. You’ve got three very young players at the test level, especially playing in a home Test match coming in with a little experience,” Sanjay Manjrekar concluded. “Three out of the top five or six batters are inexperienced. So, you have to understand India’s situation. It’s not like India is playing badly, it’s just that there’s a new beginning here.”