India vs England 3rd Test 2024: Head-to-Head, Squads, Players to watch, Weather, Pitch, Milestone
After a 10-day gap between the end of the second Test and the start of the third Test, India and England are expected to hit the field with renewed energy and vigour. The five-match series is evenly poised at 1-1. Rajkot will host the third Test from February 15 to 19.
Head-to-Head
India and England have played 133 Tests against each other, of which India have won 32 and England have won 51. Of the 66 Tests played in India, India won 23, and England won 15. The fortunes of the last five Tests have turned in England’s favour.
| India | England | |
| ICC Test Rankings | 2 | 3 |
| Head-to-Head | 32 | 51 |
| In India | 23 | 15 |
| Last 5 Tests | 2 | 3 |
Squads
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(captain), Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Srikar Bharat(wicket-keeper), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), Akash Deep
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes(captain), Ben Foakes(wicket-keeper), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, James Anderson, Shoaib Bashir, Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Daniel Lawrence, Gus Atkinson
Players to watch out for
Yashasvi Jaiswal: India’s opening batter is the top run scorer in this series, with 321 runs in two matches, including a magnificent double century. The 22-year-old left-hander from Mumbai has given some good starts to the team and will be expected to continue doing so for the remainder of the competition.
Ravichandran Ashwin: Playing his 98th Test and third at Rajkot, India’s right-arm off-spinner is just one wicket away from completing 500 Test wickets. He is the most successful bowler at this venue, with nine wickets in two matches. Additionally, with a relatively inexperienced Indian middle order, he will be expected to make useful contributions with the bat.
Ollie Pope: England’s top-order batter is the leading run-getter for his team in this series, with 243 runs in two matches. This right-handed batter came very close to scoring a double century in the first Test when he was dismissed for 196. Besides his batting, he is an excellent close-in fielder.
Tom Hartley: England’s left-arm spinner has claimed 14 wickets in two matches in this series so far. Playing his debut Test series, he has exhibited nerves of steel and has been unscathed by the Indian conditions. Alongside his bowling, he has proved his utility with the bat, scoring over 100 runs.
Weather
Expect plenty of sunshine with a maximum temperature of 32 degrees Celsius. There is no cloud cover and no chance of rain.
Pitch
The venue has hosted two tests, of which one produced a result and one ended in a draw. The spinners will play a pivotal role, given that the top five wicket-takers at Rajkot have been the spinners. The highest total scored is 649 (at the loss of nine wickets), and the lowest is 172 (at the loss of six wickets).
Milestone Alert
- Ben Stokes will play his 100th Test
- Jonny Bairstow needs 98 runs to complete 6000 Test runs
- James Anderson needs 5 wickets to complete 700 Test wickets
- Ravichandran Ashwin needs 1 wicket to complete 500 Test wickets
Match details
Date: February 15 to 19, 2024
Time: 9:30 am
Venue: Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
Streaming: Jio Cinema, Sports 18