In the upcoming third match of the five-match India vs England Test series, both teams are set to face off on February 15 (Thursday) at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. With the series currently tied at 1-1, both teams will be eager to secure the lead in Rajkot. However, with just a day to go in the 3rd IND vs ENG Test, there are certain questions regarding what the playing 11s for both teams could be.
India have faced a series of setbacks since the beginning of the series. Initially, Virat Kohli missed the first two tests due to personal reasons, and now it has been confirmed that he will be unavailable for the remainder of the series. Adding to the challenges, KL Rahul, a standout performer in the series opener, will also miss the third Test due to an ongoing quad injury.
Sarfaraz Khan To Make Debut?
To fill the gaps in the lineup, Devdutt Padikkal has been brought into the squad for KL Rahul but he is unlikely to feature in the playing 11, and there’s a likelihood that Sarfaraz Khan will make his debut after having to sit out the 2nd IND vs ENG Test, following the pecking order. Additionally, with Shreyas Iyer out, Rajat Patidar is also set to slot into the middle order.
A positive development for Team India is the return of star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who missed the second test due to a hamstring injury. The bowling lineup is expected to feature Mohammed Siraj in place of Mukesh Kumar.
England, on the other hand, are dealing with their own set of challenges, particularly with the absence of their main spinner Jack Leach for the remainder of the series against India. This leaves them somewhat short on experienced spin options. Despite this setback, the visiting team have shown resilience and lived up to their reputation, silencing critics with their bold playing style in India, particularly in the series opener when they handed India an embarrassing defeat in Hyderabad.
Here’s The Probable Playing 11s For IND vs ENG 3rd Test:
Probable Playing 11 for India: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashavi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, KS Bharat (WK), Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Probable Playing 11 for England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Stokes (C), Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson.
