Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer
said either Mayank Agarwal or stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane should be dropped
as regular captain Virat Kohli returns to the Indian Test team for the second
Test, starting Friday, against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

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Talking to ESPNcricinfo, Jaffer explained
why Agarwal or Rahane would make way for Kohli in the second Test. Both Agarwal
and Rahane have been out of form. While vice-captain Rahane has only one fifty
to his credit since scoring a hundred in Melbourne in December 2020, Agarwal
reached his last three-figure mark in 2019 when he scored 243 against
Bangladesh in Indore.

“It is a toss-up between Mayank
Agarwal and Ajinkya Rahane. I would be thinking of those two. That is the
toss-up that Virat Kohli has to make. Whether he wants to go with Mayank
Agarwal and give him another go. Rahane has not got enough runs in the last
10-12 Test matches, after that Melbourne (knock). It is definitely a tough
call. It depends on who the sword falls on,” said Jaffer.

Jaffer, meanwhile, suggested that
wicket-keeper batter Wriddhiman Saha could play as an opener

because that would not disrupt the batting order for the rest of the team.

“If at all Mayank goes out, then
everyone bats out of their position. Cheteshwar Pujara will open and then
Rahane will have to bat at some other position. Shreyas Iyer will obviously bat
at three and Kohli at four. So, if Saha opens, then everyone bats at their
original position and you can do that in Indian conditions,” Jaffer added.

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Kohli’s return after a much-needed
break has brought with it a dilemma for the Indian team management.

With Shreyas Iyer having a dream debut in the
first Test in Kanpur, scoring 105, his place is cemented for the second Test. 

The Kanpur Test ended in a
draw.