Three changes India could make for third Test against England in Dharamsala

Team India didn’t get off to the best of starts in their marquee five-Test series against England, suffering a shock defeat in Hyderabad despite collecting a massive first innings lead. The Rohit Sharma-led side, however, would bounce back in style in Visakhapatnam, leveling the series with a 106-run victory.

The Indians would then stamp their authority on the Ben Stokes-led visiting team and their ‘Bazball’ brand of cricket in Rajkot with a crushing 434-run victory — their biggest victory ever in terms of runs and England’s second-worst Test defeat of all time.

India would later clinch the series with a match to spare in Ranchi, pulling off a five-wicket victory despite conceding a first innings lead for the first time in the ongoing series.

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It was every bit a collective effort from the hosts that helped them bounce back from the Hyderabad loss and reel off three victories in a row to maintain their unbeaten run in home Test assignments that has stretched for more than 11 years now.

There were, however, a number of standout individual performances along the way as well — Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliant use of reverse swing in Vizag Yashasvi Jaiswal's back-to-back double-tons , Shubman Gill regaining form with a gritty century in Rajkot, Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel shining in their debut series, Ravichandran Ashwin collecting his 500th wicket and more.

The fifth and final Test at Dharamsala’s picturesque HPCA Stadium has been reduced to a dead rubber as far as the ongoing series for the Anthony D’Mello Trophy is concerned. However, a victory could still come in handy for both teams on the longer run when it comes to finishing in the top two at the end of the ICC World Test Championship cycle and qualifying for the final.

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So while India have solid reason to bench a couple of players, including perhaps a senior, they certainly will not be looking to get too relaxed and endanger their chances of signing off with a 4-1 series scoreline.

Ahead of the Dharamsala Test that is scheduled to take place between 7 to 11 March, we take a look at some of the possible changes India could be making to their combination:

Padikkal in place of Patidar

KL Rahul has been out of action since scoring 86 and 22 in Hyderabad and is set to miss the Dharamsala match as well as he continues to feel sore in his right quadriceps and will fly to London to consult a specialist. Additionally, Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar hasn’t exactly set the stage on fire since he was handed his maiden cap in Visakhapatnam, collecting a total of 63 runs in six outings at an average of 10.5.

Devdutt Padikkal had initially been included as KL Rahul’s cover in the squad. With Rahul out of the Dharamsala Test and given Patidar’s poor run, the team management might just look towards the Karnataka batter who has played a total of two internationals — both in the 20-over format. Padikkal might just end up becoming the latest Indian to be handed his maiden cap in a series in which the hosts have unearthed a number of gems.

Bumrah in place of Siraj/Akash

India are also set for a change in their bowling lineup, with Jasprit Bumrah returning to action in Dharamsala after skipping the Ranchi Test, a decision taken by the team management in order to manage his workload. Given the leader of the Indian pace battery, and by extension the bowling unit, walks straight to the XI, either of Mohammed Siraj or Akash Deep will have to sit out to accommodate Bumrah.

Siraj had been rested for the second Test in Vizag after a quiet outing in Hyderabad in order for his workload to be managed. He would, however, feature in the Rajkot and Ranchi Tests, producing a game-changing spell in the former. On the other hand, Akash Deep got his international career off a dream start in Ranchi with a three-wicket burst in the morning session on Day 1 after receiving his maiden cap from head coach Rahul Dravid.

Normally, Siraj would’ve been an automatic choice for Bumrah’s pace partner. However, since the series has already been sealed in India’s favour, skipper Rohit and coach Dravid might just be inclined towards giving Akash another shot in Dharamsala.

A third seamer at the expense of a spinner

There’s also the possibility of the hosts playing three seamers — something rarely witnessed in India’s home Tests — given the conditions in Dharamsala will be far from what one is typically used to in the subcontinent at this time of the year with temperatures expected to drop to single digits. With conditions expected to remain chilly, and occasionally overcast, the Englishmen will be finding themselves at home more than the Indians with the ball gets rolling on Thursday.

If India indeed go with three pacers, they might have to drop one of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja or Kuldeep Yadav — a decision that is not going to be an easy one given how the three have performed so far in this series. Then there would also be the question of who the second and third seamers would be.

While Siraj remains a favourite for the second seamer’s slot and Ashwin and Jadeja will likely retain their places in the XI, either Akash or fellow Bihar-born Bengal seamer Mukesh could be featuring in Dharamsala at Kuldeep’s expense. And given his heroics in Ranchi, Akash might just be a favourite on this front.