India will need to balance ruthlessness with strategy to counter the unpredictable England in the third Test at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) Stadium in Rajkot on February 15.
Following England's surprising victory in the series opener at Hyderabad, the hosts rallied back strongly in Vizag to level the series, setting the stage for an intense battle in the remaining matches.
The outstanding performances of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 321 runs, and Jasprit Bumrah, who took 15 wickets, played a key role in India's comeback. However, there are concerns regarding the inconsistent performance of the middle-order batters, putting pressure on the young talent to step up and perform.
With skipper Rohit Sharma's recent struggles with the bat raising concerns about the Indian batting lineup, especially with the absence of KL Rahul for this match and Virat Kohli for the entire series added pressure on the team.
Rohit's aggressive approach hasn't converted into big scores in the past year, prompting speculation about potential adjustments needed from the Indian captain.
Sarfaraz or Padikkal?
Rahul's absence in the third Test opens up an opportunity for Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan to make his much-anticipated debut in Test cricket. He could potentially partner with the relatively inexperienced Rajat Patidar to fill crucial batting positions in the middle order.
The English team is likely to have taken note of India's lack of experience in the middle order, given their penchant for thorough research on opponents and aggressive tactics, which have often yielded positive outcomes.
The consistent struggles of wicketkeeper KS Bharat with the bat have prompted India to consider the inclusion of 23-year-old Dhruv Jurel from Uttar Pradesh, known for his attacking batting style.
With an impressive average of 46.47 in 15 First-Class matches, Jurel has shown his ability at the domestic level. Given that the pitch in Rajkot is not expected to heavily favour spin, making his debut here would provide Jurel with a smoother transition into top-level cricket.
With Cheteshwar Pujara out of the selectors' plans, there will be heightened anticipation for local favourite Ravindra Jadeja to step up and perform for India, especially after the spinners struggled against England in the first two Tests.
While statistics show India's spinners collectively averaging 38.39 compared to England's 33.90.
Bumrah's exceptional performance in the first two Tests has been prominent and has somewhat mitigated the struggles faced by the esteemed spinners, who haven't flourished in the absence of spin-friendly pitches.
With the pitch at Rajkot being traditionally friendly to the batters, India face the choice between selecting either chinaman Kuldeep Yadav or Axar Patel, with the latter's batting skills tipping the scale in his favour.
With 499 wickets to his name, India's top spinner R Ashwin is anticipated to join the prestigious 500-club during the upcoming match.
England rely on aggressive batting style
Tom Hartley has seen a significant boost in confidence since arriving in India. His consistent line and length have consistently challenged the Indian batters, while his aggressive batting style aligns with the team's ethos.
It remains to be seen whether Joe Root's increased workload in spin bowling is affecting him more than anticipated. With Jack Leach sidelined due to a knee injury, England will have to rely heavily on their most experienced batter for wickets. Root will also be expected to return to his usual form with the bat.
Ollie Pope delivered a memorable innings in Hyderabad to set up England's win over India. However, his subsequent failures in the second Test have drawn attention to both him and Jonny Bairstow.
Meanwhile, Ben Stokes will play his 100th Test match for England against India. Stokes reflects on his remarkable innings of 128 at the SCA stadium during the drawn Test of the 2016 tour. His leadership has proven to be truly inspiring in this series, and we anticipate more courageous decisions from him in the upcoming five days.
Teams
India’s updated squad for the third Test: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KS Bharat (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja*, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Devdutt Padikkal.
England's Playing XI for 3rd Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
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