English captain Ben Stokes is set to mark a monumental milestone as he prepares to play his 100th Test match. Meanwhile, India’s star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is on the brink of achieving a significant feat by potentially claiming his 500th Test wicket. On the other hand, the legendary James Anderson sets his sights on the elusive 700-wicket mark.
With the series finely poised at 1-1, the stakes are high as both teams gear up for the third Test. Following a narrow 28-run defeat in the inaugural Test in Hyderabad, India bounced back emphatically with a resounding 106-run victory in the second Test at Visakhapatnam.
During the toss, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma disclosed that Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar would be absent from the third Test lineup. He also confirmed the inclusion of Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja in the playing XI.
“We’ve elected to bat first and made four changes. We have some injuries and players returning from the previous game. Two debutants, Siraj and Jadeja, are back. Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar will miss out. The pitch appears promising, better than the previous two. Rajkot is renowned for its good pitches, although it may deteriorate as the match progresses. The team has shown resilience and performed admirably when needed. The next three Tests promise to be as thrilling as the first two. It’s crucial to maintain our focus and strive for excellence,” Rohit remarked.
The English captain announced that Mark Wood would replace Shoaib Bashir in the visitors’ squad.
England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), Ben Foakes (Wk), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
India XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (Wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
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