Mark Wood has replaced Shoaib Bashir in the England cricket team ahead of the third Test match against India, which gets off at the Saurashtra Cricket Association in Rajkot on February 15. The visitors will start with two seamers, in contrast to England’s three frontline spinners in the previous two Test matches.
At the second Test match at Vishakhapatnam, Shoaib Bashir made his Test debut. He had a strong performance, taking Rohit Sharma for his first international wicket, and ended with three wickets in the first innings. In the second innings, the 20-year-old off-spinner could only muster one wicket as the English fell by 106 runs while chasing 399 in the fourth over.
Rehan Ahmed was doubtful for the third Test due to his visa problems, but the wrist-spinner has managed to hold onto his seat.
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Wood, who will bowl with seasoned James Anderson, bowled reasonably but failed to pick up any wickets in the first Test match in Hyderabad. In contrast, Anderson picked up five wickets in the encounter and was outstanding at Vishakhapatnam despite receiving little help off the field. The Lancashire seamer has the potential to reach the benchmark in Rajkot as he is just five scalps away from 700.
Ben Stokes, a prolific all-rounder who made his Test debut in December 2013, is about to make his 100th appearance in the format. The 32-year-old, nevertheless, stated that he would rather concentrate on defeating India in Rajkot rather than dwelling too much on the milestone.
At bat, Stokes has had a respectable series, amassing 134 runs in two Test matches, including a career-high 70. He recently had knee surgery, therefore he is not yet ready to bowl.
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