- By Stephan Shemilt
- Chief cricket writer in Rajkot
Image source, Getty Images
Mark Wood has taken 104 wickets in 32 Tests for England
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India v England, Third Test |
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Venue: Rajkot Dates: 15-19 February Time: 04:00 GMT |
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Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app, with daily Test Match Special podcasts on BBC Sounds |
England have picked two seamers in their XI for the first time in the series against India, with Mark Wood recalled for the third Test in Rajkot.
Wood replaces off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the only change from the side beaten in the second Test in Visakhapatnam.
Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed plays after visa issues on his return to India following England’s break in Abu Dhabi.
Captain Ben Stokes will play his 100th Test, the 16th England man to reach the milestone.
England played in one of the two previous Tests on this ground, a high-scoring draw on their tour in 2016.
“Looking at the wicket and taking a bit of information from the last Test we played here, we feel bringing in another seamer will give us the best chance,” Stokes told BBC Sport.
“I know it was a very long time ago when we played here, but it looks a good wicket. Yesterday it actually looked quite English. It’s a little bit different today.
“It’s a bit platey. Over the five days, those plates might become a little bit uneven. There might be some reverse swing, which brings Woody into the game.”
England XI to play third Test v India: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wk), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
Wood, who played in the first-Test win in Hyderabad, was left out in Visakhapatnam and returns to partner James Anderson, who needs five more wickets to reach 700 in Tests.
Bashir drops out after making his debut in the second Test, leaving Tom Hartley and Ahmed as the spin options, alongside the off-breaks of Joe Root.
What England described as a “discrepancy” in Ahmed’s visa was discovered when the squad returned to India from their break in the United Arab Emirates.
The 19-year-old had a single entry visa, rather than the multiple entry version that was required. The issue was not related to the problems experienced by Bashir at the beginning of the tour, when he was forced to return to the UK.
Ahmed was given a 72-hour visa in order to re-enter the county and now has the correct paperwork for the remainder of the tour.
All-rounder Stokes, 32, will reach a century of caps 10 years after making his Test debut against Australia in Adelaide.
The captain has had one of the most storied careers in English cricketing history, starring in two World Cup final wins and pulling off a legendary run chase to defeat Australia by one wicket in the Headingley Ashes Test in 2019.
“I’m looking forward to getting the presentation done and dusted, then everything can be on the cricket,” he said. “I’m proud to say that I’ve been able to play a part in 100 Tests, because it’s quite a lot – it’s a lot of warm-ups. It’s one more game and hopefully there are a lot more to come.”
Stokes has starred with a number of individual performances and has excelled as captain, winning 14 of the 20 matches since he took charge in 2022.
He identified the match against South Africa in Cape Town in 2020, when he took wickets late on day five to win the game, as his favourite.
“I took some catches, scored some runs, took some wickets and we ended up winning,” said Stokes. “That is what I judge my personal performance on, having an influence on us winning the game.”
India have all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja available after he missed the second Test with a hamstring injury.
Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah, the leading wicket-taker in the series, looks set to play despite some suggestions he could be rested.
With the five-match series poised at 1-1, England remain in the hunt to become the first visiting team to win a series here since 2012. They will have to battle the heat in Rajkot, with the temperature forecast to reach 35C over the weekend.
“The score is a fair reflection of the cricket that has been played in the first two games,” said Stokes.
“The focus is on this game and then everything after that. If we play to anywhere near our capability, we’ll give ourselves a good chance of winning. If do play good cricket, then the results looks after themselves.”
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
