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February 14, 2024 5:02 PM IST

IND vs ENG 3rd Test: In-transition India look to keep ‘Bazball’ at bay

India and England will be meeting in the third test of the five-match series, at the Saurashtra Cricket Association stadium in Rajkot, starting tomorrow.
 
India kicked-off their home campaign on a sour note, suffering a defeat to England in the Test opener in Hyderabad. The visitors won by 28 runs, seizing an early lead in the series. However, the tide turned dramatically in the second game in Vizag, where Rohit Sharma-led India secured a commanding 106-win victory to level the series.
 
Team India News
 
In significant team developments, India’s batting stalwart, Virat Kohli, who had opted out of the first two Tests due to personal reasons, was anticipated to return for the remainder of the series. Unfortunately, Kohli will remain unavailable for the remainder of the series. 
 
Additionally, senior batter KL Rahul, initially named in the squad for the last three Tests, has been sidelined from the upcoming match due to a sore knee.
 
Moreover, Shreyas Iyer has been dropped from the squad following a series of low scores. But there is positive news for India as Ravindra Jadeja, who missed the Vizag Test due to a hamstring injury, is fit to play in the upcoming match at his home ground of Rajkot. 
 
With KL Rahul’s absence and Shreyas Iyer’s omission, Sarfaraz Khan is likely to make his Test debut.
 
While Devdutt Padikkal has been named as the replacement for the injured KL Rahul, he may not feature in the starting XI.
 
Team England News
 
The England Cricket Board (ECB) announced the playing eleven for the third Test match against India in Rajkot, with pacer Mark Wood replacing Shoaib Bashir in the squad.
 
“The Three Lions have made one change with Mark Wood replacing Shoaib Bashir,” stated the ECB.
 
Adding weight to the contest, England’s skipper Ben Stokes is set to mark his 100th Test appearance tomorrow.
 
“Captain Ben Stokes is set to make his 100th Test appearance in Rajkot,” the ECB added.
 
Earlier, In a massive blow, England’s frontline spinner Jack Leach was ruled out of the high-profile series after failing to recover from his knee injury.
 
England’s Playing XI for the third 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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