India vs England 2021: 3rd Test match players list & umpires
The moving match of the India-England series is finally here after a gap of nine days! India will attempt to go 2-0 up and virtually close the series while England will aim to level the scales when the two sides lock horns in the third Test at the Emerald Headingley in Leeds starting Wednesday (August 25).
There was finally a change in Virat Kohli’s fortunes after seven successive games. India won the toss and opted to bat first in overcast conditions but on a pitch which surprisingly has lesser grass than what we have traditionally witnessed in Leeds.
There was debate regarding bringing in seam-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur for veteran seamer Ishant Sharma, apart from the constant question of Ravichandran Ashwin's inclusion. But the Indian team management stuck to the winning combination which pulled off an incredible 151-run victory at Lord’s last week.
England, on the other hand, effected both forced and tactical changes – one each. A prolonged run of low scores has forced Dominic Sibley to go back to the grind of County cricket. In comes Dawid Malan at No. 3, who incidentally played his last Test against India back in 2018. This means Joe Root’s boys will have a new opening duo in Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed.
Express pacer Mark Wood was ruled out of the third Test with a jarred right shoulder. The hosts had to choose between seam-bowling all-rounder Craig Overton and debutant Saqib Mahmood, and they have given the green light to the four-Test-old.
India vs England – 3rd Test playing 11
India playing 11: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah
India squad: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Wriddhiman Saha, Umesh Yadav, Hanuma Vihari, Abhimanyu Easwaran
England playing 11: Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Ollie Robinson, Craig Overton, James Anderson
England squad: Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Ollie Robinson, Saqib Mahmood, James Anderson, Craig Overton, Daniel Lawrence, Ollie Pope
India vs England – 3rd Test umpires
On-field umpires: Alex Wharf, Richard Kettleborough
3rd umpire: Richard Illingworth
Match referee: Chris Broad