England Name 17-Men Squad For 3rd Test Including Jonny Bairstow, Mark Wood
Feb 16, 2021 at 4:05 PM
England named a 17-men squad for the third Test against India, after suffering defeat in the 2nd Test. The 3rd Test is set to be a pink-ball day-night affair at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, starting February 24.
England continued with their rotation policy resting key players as spin-bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali has been rested while the duo of Jonny Bairstow and Mark Wood, both of whom were unavailable for the first two Tests in Chennai, has made a return to the squad.
England’s 17-Man Squad For 3rd Test Don’t Include Sam Curran And Moeen Ali
All-rounder Sam Curran didn’t travel to India alongside Jonny Bairstow and Mark Wood this week as scheduled and he will not be available for selection in the third Test in Ahmedabad from February 24. The 22-year-old Surrey cricketer was scheduled to travel to India this week to play the last 2 Tests but England and Wales Cricket Board decided to rest him to avert ‘bubble fatigue. Sam Curran will now join the team next week and will be available for selection for the fourth Test in Ahmedabad from March 4.
Following an average performance by spinner Dom Bess in the first Test where he picked 5 scalps averaging 25.2, Moeen Ali was named in the playing 11 for the following Test. His inconsistency notwithstanding, the all-rounder faired decently with the ball as he claimed a total of eight wickets across two innings before chipping in with a whirlwind 18-ball 43 in the second innings where he was the top scorer.
England Batsman Jonny Bairstow’s Addition Adds Potency To Batting Lineup But Mark Wood’s Inclusion Gives England Too Many Pacer Options
The inclusion of Jonny Bairstow to the England line-up will add potency to the England top-order, which has been found wanting against Indian spinners in three out of the last four innings. He fared decently well in Sri Lanka where he batted at the No.3 spot and it remains to be seen whom he replaces in the playing 11.
It will be interesting to see the fast bowlers that England picks in their playing 11 in the day-night Test given the fact that the addition of Mark Wood in the squad has only given them too many options to choose from.
James Anderson, who was rested from the second Test, is in line for a return for the day-night affair while there still concerns over the availability of Jofra Archer, who was ruled out of the second Test due to injury in his elbow.
England was thumped by a whopping 317 runs in the second Test and the Joe Root-led unit will be looking to bounce back in the third Test at Ahmedabad. England won the 1st Test by 227 runs after India failed to score 420 on the last day at the same venue and Ahmedabad, the venue for the next 2 Tests will not be as spin-friendly as Chennai.
England squad for the third Test against Team India:
Joe Root (c), Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.