India will have to be ruthless and tactful in equal measure as they deal with an unpredictable England when the third chapter of a riveting Test series begins in Rajkot on Thursday. After England shocked India in the series opener in Hyderabad, the hosts came back strongly in Vizag to level terms, keeping the five-match series in perfect balance. The brilliance of Yashasvi Jaiswal (321 runs) and Jasprit Bumrah (15) allowed India to stage a comeback in the series, but concerns remain over a failed middle order, which will now depend on the young talent to deliver the goods to deliver.
Skipper Rohit Sharma's form with the bat before the eight-day break only added to the growing concern surrounding the Indian batsman, who will be without KL Rahul and Virat Kohli for the entire series in this match.
Over the past year or so, Rohit's aggressive approach with the bat has failed to get him big scores and the current situation is forcing the Indian skipper to perhaps consider switching gears.
Team changes
Rahul's unavailability for the third Test has raised the possibility of Mumbai batsman Sarfaraz Khan getting his much-awaited debut in the longest format. The domestic machine could team up with one-Test old Rajat Patidar to occupy two of the most coveted batting spots in the middle order.
India's glaring inexperience in the middle order would have been well noticed by the England camp, whose robust research into opponents and aggressive play has delivered results time and time again.
Wicketkeeper KS Bharat's continued failures with the bat have raised the possibility of India turning to 23-year-old Dhruv Jurel of Uttar Pradesh, who is known for his aggressive batting.
Rajkot Pitch Report
With an average of 46.47 over 15 First Division matches, Jurel has given an excellent report of himself. Since the pitch here at Rajkot is not expected to be a top one, a debut here would only help Jurel foray into the world of top cricket.
With local hero Cheteshwar Pujara no longer in the selectors' plans, there will be high expectations for local hero Ravindra Jadeja to get back in the ring and perform for India, whose spinners were beaten by England in the first two Tests surpassed.
Numbers only tell one side of the story and the Indian think tank won't be too concerned about how their spinners average collectively (38.39) compared to England's (33.90).
Unlike in the past, where spinners ruled the roost and fast bowling was reduced to mere formalities, this series has witnessed a stunning turnaround that, fortunately for India, has coincided with Bumrah being at his absolute best.
Bumrah's brilliance in the first two Tests has endured and to some extent saved the blushes for the celebrated spinners who have failed to thrive in the absence of rank turners.
Since the pitch in Rajkot is traditionally batter-friendly, India will have to pick one between China's Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, with the latter winning the vote purely on the basis of his batting ability.
With 499 wickets, India's top spinner R Ashwin is expected to join the elite 500 club in the course of the game.
For England, it would be about taking the right steps, as they have done in India so far.
Back from their base in Abu Dhabi, where the players spent time away from the match, the relaxed atmosphere in the camp is easily noticeable.
Tom Hartley's confidence has grown manifold from the moment he stepped onto Indian shores. His penetrating line and lengths have consistently questioned the Indian batsmen and with the bat, his aggressive approach has matched the team's philosophy.
It remains to be seen whether sharing the spin-bowling workload will require more of Joe Root than it should, but England will have no choice but to lean on the senior batsman for wickets as Jack Leach leaves the series with a knee is excluded. injury. He is also expected to return to his consistent handling of the bat.
Ollie Pope played the innings of his life in Hyderabad to set up England's victory, but double failures in the second Test put the emphasis on both him and Jonny Bairstow.
On the eve of his 100th Test, Ben Stokes would like to look back on the fine 128 he made here at the SCA Stadium in the eponymous Test of the 2016 tour. His leadership has been inspiring in the series so far and you can watch Expect more bold calls from him over the next five days.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KS Bharat (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav , Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Devdutt Padikkal.
England: Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Shoaib Bashir, Dan Lawrence, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes (wk), Tom Hartley, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root , Mark Hout.
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