Test Cricket: 3rd Test match between England and India will start from today at Rajkot
In Cricket, the 3rd Test of a five-match series between India and England will begin at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot today. The match will start at 9.30 AM Indian time.
The morning chill was lingering, not exactly willing to make way for the warmth of the day, as Rahul Dravid stood on the ground, his gaze fixed on the Rajkot pitch. So immersed was he in studying the surface that one might easily mistake him for a student of pedology, or perhaps a soil scientist. He would not like to be distracted.
Over the past two days, the once grassy rectangle had transformed into a track of brown hue. Undoubtedly, Dravid had played a role in the metamorphosis of the pitch, a blend of clay and black soil. While these ingredients are not best known for fostering high bounce, they certainly promise good turn. Yet, it was far from a rank turner.
Typically, such a surface favours batters over bowlers, prompting Dravid to anticipate potential blowpack over the pitch preparation. The Indian batters, far from their imperious and domineering selves in home series, had succumbed to the English spinners more readily than R. Ashwin & Co. had subdued the audacious enterprise and belligerence of Ben Stokes’s batters.
However, the focus here is more on the English spinners than their batters. They claimed 12 wickets more than their Indian counterparts, bowled significantly more maiden overs (38-17), and boasted a superior average compared to the home team’s Ashwin & Co. (33.9-38.39).
The crux of the contest in the third Test would revolve around how the Indian batters would fare against the English spinners. With an inexperienced batting lineup, bereft of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, the Indian side faced a formidable challenge in handling the English spinners who, despite their relative inexperience, remained disciplined and effective.
“These youngsters have showcased their talent in domestic cricket,” remarked Ravindra Jadeja referring to youngsters like Rajat Patidar, Sharfaraz Khan, and Dhruv Jurel.The last two names are poised to make their Test debut, presenting a significant opportunity on home turf. “Their consistent performances in domestic cricket have earned them this chance. It’s reassuring that they’re debuting at home rather than abroad, like in Australia or South Africa,” Jadeja added, expressing confidence in the young batters.
England, once contemplating fielding four spinners, had opted for a change in strategy, favoring an additional pacer, Mark Wood, over a third spinner, Shoaib Bashir. Thus, they assembled a four-man attack spearheaded by James Anderson, complemented by Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley in the spin department, with Joe Root providing more than supplementary assistance.
” I think bringing in an extra seamer this week is the option we’ve gone with because we think that’s going to give us the best chance of winning,” Ben Stokes said, banking on the pitch’s anticipated deterioration as the Test progressed. England aimed to capitalize on the inexperience and vulnerability of the Indian batting lineup. The stage is now set for the young Indian batters to rise to the occasion.
Squads:
India Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Srikar Bharat(w), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep
England Squad: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes(c), Ben Foakes(w), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, James Anderson, Shoaib Bashir, Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Daniel Lawrence, Gus Atkinson
