The fans in Vizag gave the Indian team a heartwarrming reception as they reached the city ahead of the second Test against England, which will begin on February 2.
India will be aiming to bounce back quickly after their 28-run loss to England in the first match in Hyderabad as the visitors took the lead in the series.
Debutant Tom Hartley emerged as a hero for the English side, taking seven wickets in the second innings, an impressive recovery after a challenging start to his Test career.
His performance, alongside Ollie Pope’s near double-century, was instrumental in setting a formidable target for India. Pope’s 196 runs marked him as the Man of the Match. Despite a strong resistance from the Indian lower order, England’s persistent attack proved too much, leading to a memorable win that set the tone for the rest of the five-match Test series.
The Indian team left from Hyderabad and arrived in Vizag on January 30, and a video released by the BCCI showed a glimpse of their journey on Tuesday. The players received a great reception at the airport as the fans flocked in numbers to witness the stars.
There were even a few ‘Rohit, Rohit’ chants at the entrance of the team hotel as India would look to recalibrate and go again in the second match.
Indian camp hit by injuries to KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja
While the reception at Vizag may have been great, the Indian team didn’t get off to the best starts when it came to the preparation for the second Test. Both KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja sustained injuries during the Hyderabad Test and was ruled out for the second match of the series.
Jadeja suffered a hamstring injury while Rahul had complained of pain in his right quadriceps. The team has roped in the services of Sarfaraz Khan, Saurabh Kumar and Washington Sundar for the second Test.
Updated Indian squad for the 2nd Test
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Sourabh Kumar.
