England vs India: 3rd Test Match Preview
With their 106-run victory in the second test match at Vishakapatnam’s Dr. YSR ACA-VDCA International Cricket Stadium, India and England are now tied 1-1 in the five-match series. On 15 February, the third test match will begin in Rajkot, and both teams will be making the journey there. With a score of 28 runs, England was victorious in the first test match played at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.
With batting prowess from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill and bowling brilliance from Jasprit Bumrah, India cruised to a resounding win in the test match at Vishakapatnam. Both Jaiswal and Gill reached century marks in the second innings; Gill made a century in his first test. In the first innings, Jasprit Bumrah grabbed six wickets; in the second innings, he added three more, bringing India’s series score to 1-1.
Dharamsala and Ranchi will play home to the series’ fourth and fifth test matches, but first, let’s dive into the upcoming meeting in Rajkot.
England’s 2024 Tour of India: Complete Series Schedule
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- First Test: Jan 25-29 (Eng Win via 28 runs)
- Second Test: Feb 2-6 (Ind Win via 106 runs)
- Third Test: Feb 15-19
- Fourth Test: Feb 23-27
- Fifth Test: March 7-11
England vs. India Test Series So Far
On January 25, the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad hosted the opening Test match of the series. India lost the match by a score of 28 runs. After that, every single supporter started making fun of the Indian squad as the visiting underdogs trumped the home favourites.
Nevertheless, in their quest for atonement, Hitman and Company produced a thunderous triumph by crushing England by 106 runs in the second Test match. Thanks to this victory, the Test series is now tied at 1-1.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma, in the second test match of the five-match series between England and India, gained the toss and was elected to bat first. This choice ultimately demonstrated a favourable outcome for him. India scored 396 runs in 112 overs during their first innings, with opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal’s magnificent double century at the age of 22 serving as the innings’s pinnacle. A historic occasion occurred during this match when Yashasvi amassed 209 runs with the bat; it was the first time he had scored a double century in international cricket. Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, and Shoaib Bashir recorded three wickets throughout this time frame, whereas Tom Hartley secured one victory.
Even though both teams will believe they could have been up by two, a 1-1 score seems far more equitable. Although England has scored more runs than India, the Indians have won more sessions overall.
IND vs. ENG: The Run Game
When no other Indian batsman scored more than 35 runs in the first innings, the match-defining performance came from opener Yashasvi Jaiswal of India. With 321 runs in four innings, Jaiswal is now India’s and England’s leading run scorer in the 2024 test series. With 243 runs in four innings, England top-order hitter Ollie Pope is second on the list. Pope scored 196 runs in the second innings of the Hyderabad test.
With 200 runs scored in four innings, England starter Zak Crawley sits in third place. With 161 runs, Shubman Gill is in third place. Gill scored his maiden test century while batting at No. 3 for India. With 134 runs scored, England captain Ben Stokes is in sixth place.
IND vs. ENG: Wickets
Jasprit Bumrah, the emphatic bowler representing India, has been fantastic this series, taking 15 wickets in as many games. Bumrah is currently ranked first in wickets taken in the five-match test series between India and England. In the just-concluded Vishakapatnam test, Bumrah took nine wickets, three in the second innings and six in the first.
With 14 wickets in only two games, England left-arm spinner Tom Hartley occupies the second spot on the list. Next up is Ravi Ashwin, an off-spinner from India who has taken nine wickets in only two outings. With eight wickets, England leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed is ranked fourth. James Anderson, a 42-year-old seasoned pacer from England, takes fifth place with five wickets in a single match.
What Do the Bookmakers Think Ahead of the Third Test?
The top betting sites in India haven’t altered their stance on a series winner despite England’s early success. The home nation is 1/4 to win the Test Series, with the comeback on England is around 9/2 at most sportsbooks.
Indian – England Test Series 3 – Feb 15 Odds
India 7/15
England 3/1
Draw 17/2
The England Squad
There is a balance of experience and youth on England’s 16-man roster. Spinners Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley are among the newcomers; Root and Anderson are veterans, while Hartley got nine wickets in his maiden match. For unrelated reasons, Harry Brook was granted permission to return to the United Kingdom before the commencement of the first Test. He might be considered for a spot later in the tour, but Dan Lawrence has taken his position on the team.
India’s Squad
India was crowned Test cricket’s best team heading into this series after their 1-1 tie in the three-match affair against South Africa. The home team’s 16-man roster for the first two Tests was finalised. However, Virat Kohli withdrew for personal reasons that have not been divulged. In his stead, Rajat Patidar took over.
After the first test, India’s injury woes escalated as KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja were ruled out of the second test with respective ailments.
Can England Garner More Success?
India deserves credit for tying the series in Visakhapatnam after being caught off guard in Hyderabad. This is particularly noteworthy, considering that five first-choice players were absent. It seemed like young batsmen Jaiswal and Shubman Gill would be India’s run scorers for years to come.
Stokes’ men chased down 378 without breaking a sweat in 2022 at Edgbaston and Hyderabad, so it is reasonable for India to be cautious of England moving forward.
The eloquence and manner of the English do something to their opponents. While Australia’s loose greens were still spinning when they departed the UK last summer, India is now frantically entering the unknown, dreading the moment they’re matched skill-for-skill. Needless to say, the absence of Virat Kohli’s ferocity, bravery, and battle has been evident.
England has played this game before. Back in 2015, they managed to win the first Test before being annihilated in the subsequent three. So far, they’ve done enough to indicate that a repeat of that scenario is unlikely.
In the next three Tests, we will determine how far they can push the hosts. Surprisingly, they have already accomplished more than what was previously expected, and they may yet manage to do something remarkable.