India v England Prediction: Who will win the 3rd T20I?
India and England lock horns in the third T20I of the five-match series on March 16 at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match is to be played behind closed doors due to the sudden spike of Covid-19 cases in the state.
Ranked second in the ICC's T20I rankings, Team India will be mindful that their resounding victory on Sunday does, in no way, guarantee them an advantage over the top-ranked England team.
England secured an easy win in the opener, but India came back strongly to comprehensively seal the second game. What happens next? Will India take the lead in the five-match series or will Morgan's troops turn the tables to their advantage once again?
How strong does Team India look on paper?
Team India are yet to zero in on a settled opening combination. While debutant Ishan Kishan played a magnificent innings in the second T20I, KL Rahul has been in poor form with scores of 1 and 0 in the two T20Is.
India might look to bring back Rohit Sharma, who was rested for the first two games. It would be fascinating to see how the Ishan-Rohit pair perform at the top of the order. The middle-order looks settled with captain Virat Kohli back amongst runs, while Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant look to be in fine form.
While India's batting lineup boasts big names and firepower, the same cannot be said about the bowling attack. Morgan's men did not seem to have much of an issue with India's bowlers during the 2nd T20I barring the last 5-odd overs.
What does the England camp look like?
England will hope to get their pacer Mark Wood, who consistently bowls at 150 mph, back into the team after he missed the second T20I with a niggle. His replacement, Tom Curran, did not make much of an impact.
Moeen Ali is expected to make a return, replacing Sam Curran for his spin bowling abilities. Chris Jordan is expected to sit out after a sub-par performance in the previous T20I.
What can be expected from the pitch?
After playing the first two T20Is on black-soil pitches, India and England will contest the third T20I on a track made of red soil. A red-soil pitch would mean assistance to spinners, and thus, one can expect spin to play a huge role in the game.
India don't have much to complain about, with momentum and home advantage on their side. Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar are expected to play big roles, and we might even see Axar Patel coming in as an extra spin-bowling option.
India v England: Third T20I - Match Prediction
It would be interesting to see what changes the two sides make to their playing XIs for the third T20I. Will Rohit Sharma make his way back to India playing XI? Will Morgan bring in Moeen Ali for his spin abilities on a turning track?
The pitch is certain to offer more turn than the previous two T20Is. Thus, India have a slight upper hand going into the third match.
However, as the top-ranked T20I team in the world, England can never be written off. Courtesy of the IPL, most English players aren't alien to Indian conditions when it comes to the T20I format of the game.
Another gripping match is on the cards. Expect Team India to overpower England with spin and take a 2-1 lead in the 5-match series.
Prediction: India to win