A supremely confident India will look to tighten the noose around a struggling England and captain Virat Kohli will be expected to overcome his prolonged lean patch when the third Test of the five-match series begins on Wednesday. Kohli’s last international hundred came in November 2019 and though he has hit a 40 in the series so far, the expectations have always been sky high from the modern great. He looked a tad vulnerable around the off-stump in the first two Tests and one can expect him to present a tighter technique when the ball is pitched on the fourth stump at Headingley.
The form of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane had also been a cause of concern for India but that has been put to rest after the experienced duo batted for almost 50 overs on day four of the Lord’s Test and were responsible for taking the game to the final day before the Indian pacers scripted a famous win.
The performance of openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul has been the biggest plus for India in the batting department.
Both have shown remarkable temperament and technique in testing conditions to give the team a solid start.
Rahul, who was drafted into the team in place of injured Mayank Agarwal, has grown in confidence with each innings and seem to be sure about which balls to play and which ones to leave, which is critical for success in English conditions.
