Mohammed Siraj not playing: India have had to make a lone forced change for the second T20I at the JSCA International Stadium Complex.
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During the second T20I of the ongoing New Zealand’s tour of India in Ranchi, India captain Rohit Sharma has won the toss and chose to field for the second time in a row.
“We are going to field first. We have seen it here, it’s a nice option to go with. Considering the dew factor, it’s good to chase in Ranchi. It was a good effort from the boys. It was a good learning for them as they finished the game, it was a good positive to have from that game. The game is such that you need some energy and experience,” Sharma told Star Sports at the toss.
As was the case in the first T20I in Jaipur, New Zealand captain Tim Southee wanted to bowl first tonight as well primarily due to the dew factor. Having lost the first match, the visitors need to win this match to remain alive in the series.
“We would have bowled first, taking the dew into consideration, but there’s going to be dew right throughout the game. It’s always about trying to improve, so we had to keep fighting and take the game deep in the first match. We have to focus on the positives.
“We’ll have to deal with the dew, no point of using it as an excuse, we just need to find a way to put up a good performance,” Southee told Star Sports at the toss.
Why is Mohammed Siraj not playing vs New Zealand?
Being asked about their Playing XI, Sharma confirmed a T20I debut for fast bowler Harshal Patel. Coming on the back of winning the MVP Award in Indian Premier League 2021, Patel deserved to represent his country in the shortest format.
In addition to his bowling skills, Patel can also be a handy option with the bat in hand. Leading Haryana in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Patel used to open the batting in a bid to make optimum use of the powerplay.
In 116 T20s till date, Patel has picked 138 wickets at an average of 23.06, an economy rate of 7.96 and a strike rate of 17.3 including a five-wicket haul. Patel’s 931 T20 runs have been scored at a strike rate of 150.16.
🎥 🎥 Congratulations to @HarshalPatel23 who is set to make his #TeamIndia debut. 👏 👏@Paytm #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/n9IIPXFJQ7
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 19, 2021
It is worth mentioning that Patel has replaced Mohammed Siraj in the Indian Playing XI. Siraj, who had made his T20I comeback after more than three and a half years on Wednesday, had suffered an injury on his hand after getting hit in his follow through by a Mitchell Santner powerful shot.
“MD Siraj got a web split on his left hand while fielding on his own bowling in the 1st T20I in Jaipur. The BCCI medical team is closely monitoring his progress,” BCCI said in an official statement regarding Siraj’s injury.
New Zealand, on the other hand, have made three changes to their Playing XI including all-rounder James Neesham, fast bowler Adam Milne and spinner Ish Sodhi for all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, fast bowler Lockie Ferguson and spinner Todd Astle.
