Zak Crawley will be certainly in the mix to play 3rd Test: England batting coach Graham Thorpe
England batting coach Graham Thorpe has indicated that Zak Crawley is fit and available for selection for the third Test in Ahmedabad. The right-handed batsman missed the second Chennai Test due to an injury, but it seems the 23-year-old has made a full recovery.
Thorpe explained that Zak Crawley, who is yet to play in the series, is in the running to feature in the day-night Test, starting on 24th February. The 51-year-old provided an update on the Crawley's situation and said:
"He (Crawley) is looking fit, and I think we have probably got a full complement of players to pick from, so he (Crawley) will be certainly in the mix, and his injury seems to have healed for me, watching him in the nets."
Jonny Bairstow, who missed the first two Tests against India, owing to England's rotation policy, is also available for selection for the third Test.
"Johnny did well in Sri Lanka; he will come back into the mix. All the players are fit, so we have got a choice to make going into this match. We know what Johnny's credentials are; he is a good player of spin, he (has) got a decent record, he played well in Sri Lanka, so he is certainly going to be in with a shout," Thorpe added.
Last month, Jonny Bairstow scored 47, 35*, 28, and 29 in the two Tests against Sri Lanka.
"Ball generally does swing more under the lights" - Graham Thorpe
Although the Motera track is expected to assist the spinners, Graham Thorpe feels the seamers will have an impact in the day-night Test. The England battin coach pointed out that playing under the lights will assist the seamers even on a slow pitch.
"It is possible, it's possible (seamers making an impact), I mean without looking into it, the crystal ball. But I would imagine that the ball generally does swing more under the lights," Thorpe added.
The newly-built Motera Stadium is yet to host a first-class game. Incidentally, the last Test match at the venue was an encounter between India and England in 2012. The hosts went on to win the match by 9 wickets.