India faced no compulsion to introduce a debutant batsman in the initial Test against England in Hyderabad, despite Virat Kohli's absence. Kohli withdrew from the first two Tests of the five-match series citing personal reasons. India chose to include a specialist wicket-keeper in KS Bharat for the first Test in Hyderabad. 

3 things you need to know

• Sarfaraz Khan received his maiden India call-up for the 2nd Test vs England
• This came after KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja suffered injuries in the 1st Test
• Rajat Patidar was called in as Virat Kohli's replacement ahead of the 1st Test

Also Read: Kohli out, Jadeja out, Rahul out: Time for Rohit Sharma to unleash the 'Gabba' spirit vs England

Who will be Virat Kohli's replacement in 2nd Test?

In the South Africa series, KL Rahul had taken on the wicketkeeping duties. However, in the first Test against England, Rahul was promoted to bat at No. 4, Kohli's position, while Bharat took the No. 6 spot in the lineup. Now, with Rahul sidelined due to a right quadriceps injury for the second Test in Visakhapatnam, India is compelled to field a debutant - either Sarfaraz Khan or Rajat Patidar.

KL Rahul's injury has opened up an opportunity for either Rajat Patidar, who joined the squad as Virat Kohli's replacement, or Sarfaraz Khan, earning his maiden India call-up, to make their debut in the second Test. India aims to bounce back after a 28-run loss in Hyderabad and the team selection is going to play a crucial role in the second Test.

The challenging decision of choosing between Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar now lies with the team management, including captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid. This decision holds significant implications for the future of India's middle-order batting. 

India's Predicted Playing XI

Meanwhile, let's take a look at India's predicted playing XI for the second Test match in Vizag. The match is scheduled to take place from February 2 to 6. While Rajat Patidar is expected to replace KL Rahul in the playing XI, Washington Sundar may play in place of injured Ravindra Jadeja. 

India's Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma ©, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj