IND VS ENG: Mark Wood is set to make a comeback as England’s pick in Rajkot out of 12

Mark Wood is expected to reclaim his spot in the starting XI on the green-tinged Rajkot ground as England has reduced their squad for the third Test to just 12.

In each of the first two Test matches, the tourists have only used one seamer: Wood was selected for the first game in Hyderabad and James Anderson was substituted for him in Visakhapatnam. For the first time in this series, England will bat with two quicks, substituting one of the three spinners from the second Test if they determine the circumstances will be more suited to seaming.

Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, who made his debut in Vizag, is probably the one, so Rehan Ahmed, who became the most recent England player to experience visa problems, will stay in his spot.

Rehan was detained at Rajkot airport when England returned to India from their mid-series break in Abu Dhabi due to his single entry visa, unlike Bashir’s situation when his visa was issued late and thus missed the first Test. Rehan and Bashir are both of Pakistani descent and were born in the United Kingdom.

Local authorities sorted out a temporary fix, and the ECB is optimistic that its oversight will be fixed within the next 24 hours. On Tuesday morning, Rehan and the other members of the traveling team practiced for the first time at the Niranjan Shah Stadium. Ben Stokes strongly implied in his post-match remarks that the issue would not impact the third Test’s preparations, which get underway on Thursday.

It’s not a big deal, according to Stokes. “Considering our situation, the men who handled it at the airport did a really excellent job. That will be resolved tonight or tomorrow, I’m sure of it.”

Of the three spinners, Bashir appears to be the most likely to miss out, though that has not been decided. Tom Hartley, a left-arm spinner, has taken the most wickets for the squad with 14, seven of which came during the second innings of England’s maiden Test triumph. In the order, he has also contributed 114 helpful runs.

With eight wickets at a rate of 36.37, Rehan’s legspin has also been a significant factor against India’s batting lineup. Similar to Hartley, he contributes something with the bat and deflects the ball away from their abundance of right-handers.

In addition to Wood’s added pace, Stokes will have a multitude of options at his disposal because Joe Root can supply the offspin. Despite going without a wicket in the opening Test, Wood had his moments, and Stokes thinks he may be more effective with Anderson at his side.

“The reasons why we would look at Jimmy and Woody would be I just like to have a point of difference,” he stated. “India is never a three-season choice either.

“Obviously, with Woody’s quick pace, going back to two seamers would allow Woody to get a little more rest, as he was the only seamer in the first Test. thus controlling his workload. Woody may be used anyway we see fit out here, and we won’t have to worry about him being the only seamer if we opt with two seamers.

On Wednesday, after India has taken one last look at the surface, England will train in the afternoon before the final selection of the starting XI is finalized. When England previously visited this location in 2016, the pitch’s levelness was a factor in their decision.

Eight years ago, in a debut Test match that resulted in a dull draw as India blocked out the last day six down in the fourth innings, Stokes was one of six centurions. The requirement that Virat Kohli’s team reach 310 in at least 49 overs was far too strict for this English team. The series was eventually won easily by the hosts.

“I remember coming off [at the end of the match] thinking we’ve got them,” Stokes said. “After that, we were down 4-0.
“You never know under certain circumstances, therefore you have to take a chance if you want something. We’ll never die not wondering whether there was anything we could have done a little differently.”

On the eve of his 100th Test cap, Stokes was enthusiastic about what his players could accomplish in 2024 overall, not just over the next four weeks, with the series well ahead of the series resuming.

“One-one, in my opinion, sets up a good series. As I believe I mentioned earlier, try to enjoy every game as it comes and don’t only try to concentrate on each series because there will be a ton of cricket to play after this one. Simply never give up on moving things ahead.

“We know the outcomes will take care of themselves if we play cricket to the best of our abilities or almost so. Given the number of games we have coming up, I believe that will be the most crucial item for us to focus on over the next, if not this year.”