Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja aren't playing the second Test match.
Ex-India cricketer VVS Laxman was surprised by the three changes India made for the second Test match against New Zealand. The India captain Virat Kohli revealed at the toss that Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ishant Sharma are missing the match due to injury.
Laxman believes something must have happened in the morning before the match as Kohli dropped no hint of the changes in the press conference ahead of the second Test. Along with Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, and Jayant Yadav got included in the playing eleven for the Mumbai Test.
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"Did something happen this morning? But Virat Kohli said nothing about in the press conference yesterday. It is obviously a big blow. Jadeja was injured in that England series and Akshar Patel came in and he was named Player of the Series," Laxman said on Byju's Cricket Live on Star Sports.
"The way he bowled was just fantastic to see. And then you saw Shreyas Iyer, who came in place of Virat Kohli. He straightaway stamped his authority under tremendous pressure. So I guess India have got very good players who can replace players who are missing due to injuries."
Kohli, who decided to bat first after winning the toss in Mumbai, said they will look to do basics right like the Kanpur Test. "Rahane had a hammie niggle on Day 5, Jadeja has a swollen right forearm, and Ishant has an injury too," he said while sharing the playing eleven. "We just have to do the basics right like in Kanpur. NZ must be given credit for batting out the overs on Day 5. We can be in positions to capitalize at home if we play well," he added.
The first Test match between India and New Zealand had ended in a draw which makes the final Test a do-or-die game for both sides.
(With Byju's Cricket Live on Star Sports Inputs)