McCullum hints at unusual England combination in potential 'rank-turner' in Vizag

England handed India a tough loss in the opening Test of the five-match series in Hyderabad last week, forcing the Indian think-tank to retrospect after the home side had been significantly more dominant of the two teams for most of the Test. And with rank turners a possibility in the second Test in Visakhapatnam, an unfazed England coach Brendon McCullum insisted his side won't shy from taking over the challenge, even if it meant fielding all spinners in the squad.

The unexpected defeat of India in the first Test has since sparked speculations about the nature of the pitch that will be prepared for the upcoming match in Visakhapatnam as the hosts seek to bounce back swiftly. There are increasing suspicions that the pitch in Visakhapatnam could offer even more assistance to spinners than the one in Hyderabad; both India and England will, hence, consider strengthening their spin options in response.

India have expanded its squad by adding three players, two of whom are spinners, indicating a shift in strategy towards spin dominance. The hosts roped in Sarfaraz Khan, Sourabh Kumar (left-arm orthodox) and Washington Sundar (right-arm offie) as cover for the injured Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul.

Meanwhile, England's coach, Brendon McCullum, has hinted at deploying an all-spin attack.

"He (Shoaib Bashir) comes into the calculations," McCullum told New Zealand's SENZ Radio.

"If the wickets continue to spin as much as we saw in the first Test, as the series goes on we won't be afraid to play all spinners or a balance of what we've got.

"We'll have a look at conditions and make a call. You're not going to get every call right, especially over here - it's hard to read some of the wickets. But we'll make a decision and go quids in on trying to commit to that. Then we'll see where we land."

Bashir landed in India over the previous weekend after a delayed visa arrival.

However, while a pitch favouring spin might traditionally be seen as advantageous for India, the scenario could be different this time around. England's recent fearless approach and noticeable improvement in handling spin since 2021 add a new dimension to the equation, prompting a reconsideration of the conventional wisdom.

The visitors have demonstrated a willingness to attack spinners – particularly evident in the second innings of the opening Test in Hyderabad – where Ollie Pope showed significant progress in negotiating spin-friendly conditions. Even the English tailenders, Rehan Ahmed and debutant Tom Hartley added a combined total of 62 runs to the scoreboard.

This shift in England's mindset and performance against spin suggests that the upcoming match in Visakhapatnam may not necessarily tilt heavily in India's favour solely based on the nature of the pitch.

"I think the way some of the lads have played it with their sweep shots can counter the extreme spin," Foakes said, as quoted by FOXCricket.

"Popey put on a bit of a masterclass in how to do that, so I think quite a few of the lads have a game plan that will do well on those pitches."