Pakistan v India - 2nd Test 2016 - Faisalabad - Match Preview
Pitch: 111 - This pitch could be pretty lively for at least the first morning, and is likely to stay fast paced well into the second day. Thereafter batting should present no great perils at least until the final stages when the bounce may become a problem.
Day 1 Weather: 2 - Hot and sunny
Day 1 pitch: 7A - Fast paced wicket
Injuries:
Pakistan:
Zulfiqar Babar - 1 match
Asad Shafiq - 1 match
Wahab Riaz - 1 match
India:
A.M.Rahane - 1 match
U.T.Yadav - 1 match
Pakistan XI:
Mohammad Hafeez
Azhar Ali
Babar Azam
Younis Khan
Misbah-ul-Haq
Sarfraz Ahmed (wk)
Iftikhar Ahmed
Mohammad Sami
Yasir Shah
Mohammad Aamir
Junaid Khan
India XI:
K.L.Rahul
M.Vijay
C.A.Pujara
V.Kohli
R.G.Sharma
W.P.Saha (wk)
R.Ashwin
J.Yadav
R.A.Jadeja
B.Kumar
V.Aaron
With Wahab Riaz injured, and the pitch fast paced, Pakistan chose their 3 remaining fit Fast bowlers, giving a suprise recall to the much maligned Mohammad Sami.
Ifitkhar Ahmed was the other change, coming in at number 7 in the allrounder role in place of Mohammad Nawaz to strengthen the batting but provide spin support for Hafeez and Yasir.
After scores of 0,0,0 and 4 in the tour matches, and little of note with the ball, Iftikhar's inclusion was another suprise.
India made a few changes, replacing the injured Rahane with Rohit Sharma at number 5, replacing out of form opener Dhawan with Rahul, and bringing in Jayant Yadav for a debut in place of Mishra.
With the wicket fast paced, they also made a desperate call to back to India on the eve of the match to Varun Aaron, feeling they needed his genuine Fast bowling on this pitch, and flying him in the night before the game started.
He will open the bowling with Kumar, with India again starting favourites for this match, with Pakistan again weakened by injury.
Losing Wahab seemed a major blow for the home side on this pitch, with it ideally suited to his type of bowling.
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