IndvsEng: Cracker of a contest anticipated at Mohali

The cricket experts are bullish about the contest at Mohali expecting a tough resistance from England which has to draw level with the host at any cost. The pitch of Mohali is always a sporting one which has everything for everyone but advantage will always with the team which wins the toss and bats

Sanjay Bhatnagar
Published on: 25 Nov 2016 11:20 AM GMT
IndvsEng: Cracker of a contest anticipated at Mohali
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Mohali: Indian cricket team is on a roll, specially after having won four of last five Test matches compared to dismal record of England with one victory and three losses but then this game is known for its glorious uncertainties and it is not known what is in store for cricket fans at Mohali when both the team clash in the third of the five-match series between two teams at Mohali commencing Saturday.

As far as the team composition goes, Parthiv Patel, recalled in Indian Test cricket after eight years, is sure to be the following injury of now regular keeper Wridhiman Saha. It is unlikely that the hosts would go for more than two changes if otherwise they plan to play four specialist bowlers.

England has high stakes in the match because if they lose, they will they let go the chance of winning the series. They will have to fire all cylinders to level the series. The touring side has already requisitioned Jos Buttler to replace out of form Duckett but the real test lies in the performance of bowlers who have to take 20 Indian wickets on latter's turf and that too when two of their best batsmen-captain Virat Kohli and Cheteswar Pujara- are on the peak of their form.

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Despite its dominating cricket, India has one weak link in the form of opening pair as in both the matches, the openers did not really click. It is sheer psychological advantage of the Indian team that opening failures were more than made up by the presence of Kohli and Pujara and of course the plucky lower order. Kohli, who scored 248 runs in the last matches, is anchor of the Indian batting which still looks formidable despite poor form of openers and not-so-good form of classy Ajinkya Rahane.

Indians have no problem with the bowling side except they may replace Umesh Yadav with Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the playing eleven . Kumar has also come back after injury and likely to make it.

Contrary to India, the England batting must be a contended lot about its opening pair of much-experiended Cook and inexperienced Hameed who showed a lot of promise in his debut match at Viazag. The main worry of England remains the middle order which it think will be strengthen after Buttler's return though he has played a single first class match in about one year.

You may also read: Jos Buttler likely to replace Ben Duckett in Mohali Test

The cricket experts are bullish about the contest at Mohali expecting a tough resistance from England which has to draw level with the host at any cost. The pitch of Mohali is always a sporting one which has everything for everyone but advantage will always with the team which wins the toss and bats first.

Sanjay Bhatnagar

Sanjay Bhatnagar

Writer is a bi-lingual journalist with experience of about three decades in print media before switching over to digital media. He is a political commentator and covered many political events in India and abroad.

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