IND vs ENG 3rd Test: The stakes are high for the third Test of the India-England test series after a gap of 10 days. The scores are level and this will be an important match for both teams in the series. Ashwin, Anderson, and Stokes would be eyeing huge milestones and here we are with the top 3 key battles to watch out for in the IND vs ENGL 3rd Test.
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India and England are set to face off in the second test at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot after 2016 when the contest ended in a draw. Historically known for rank-turners, the pitch in the SCA stadium is expected to be a turner for the IND vs ENG 3rd test.
A competitive and equal battle between the bat and the ball has resulted from the series’ pitches thus far, which have been everything but turners. India and England have both taken jabs at one another, which has made for some exciting matchups to watch.
Leggie Rehan Ahmed had a similar visa difficulty to what Bashir had earlier in the competition, but luckily, Ahmed did not have to wait as long for the problem to be remedied. The visitors have chosen to go with a twin-pronged pace attack consisting of Wood and seasoned James Anderson, and the leg-break bowler has been selected in England’s arsenal alongside Tom Hartley.
England’s Playing 11 for IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (capt), Ben Foakes (wk), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
Down below are the top 3 key battles to watch out for in the IND vs ENG 3rd Test:
IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Key Battles To Watch Out For
1- Ben Duckett vs Ashwin
With a total of 131 runs in the two Tests, opener Ben Duckett by far looked the one most comfortable at the crease from the visitors. Having been the leading aggressor, India would know they had to get him early to prevent England from getting off to a quick start.
The matchup that appears to be most suitable for the hosts against Duckett is Ravichandran Ashwin. Although the opener has scored Ashwin a few runs in Test matches, the seasoned off-spinner has already removed Duckett twice. With only one more Test wicket needed to reach an incredible 500, Ashwin would prefer to have Duckett or Crawley be the one to take him there in the IND vs ENG 3rd Test.
2- Yashasvi Jaiswal vs James Anderson
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s outstanding double century in Visakhapatnam set the stage for India to win the match. His comfortable stroke play contradicts his age and demonstrates that he is unfazed by the size of the field or the challenges of the bowlers and conditions.
In the first innings, Jaiswal raced down the track and was caught at deep extra cover. But in the second innings, Anderson had the southpaw edging one to the slip cordon and gave the young player serious trouble with the fresh ball. Anderson has to slash quickly if England are to hold Jaiswal in check.
3- Jasprit Bumrah vs Joe Root
After only 52 runs in four innings this series, Joe Root appears to be under a lot of pressure heading into the Rajkot Test. Michael Vaughan and other cricket commentators have been advising him to stay away from the Bazball approach and instead do what has been effective for him, particularly when facing spin.
But Jasprit Bumrah, the sensational Indian speedster, may again pose a danger to Root. Bumrah has dismissed Root eight times in Test matches, two of which have already occurred in this series. Bumrah will be raring to go after taking 15 wickets in his first two Test matches, and India would be ecstatic if their star bowler could rediscover his rhythm.
For more details head to BCCI’s official website.