England have been hit hard by injury and the withdrawal of Ben Stokes but remain a competitive outfit.
England vs India | Third Test | 25 – 29 August 2021 | Headingley, Leeds
To Win Match
England 16/10
Draw 28/10
India 27/20
England
England’s top order failings have been their downfall thus far this series, but we must not forget that they were in a position to win the second Test.
Skipper Joe Root has been their standout batsman but far too much appears to hang on his bat.
Root’s captaincy is in question even if his place in the team as a batsman is not in doubt. A clear and ovbvious tactical failure when bowling to the Indian tail cost England the second Test, and he is now under scrutiny for his leadership as coach Chris Silverwood has his direction questioned.
England’s attack bowled well and James Anderson has been at the heart of their best performances. They have the tools to win Test matches but need to deploy them more appropriately.
India
India showed a lot of guts to come out on top in the second Test, they will need more of that resolve to clinch the series and claim more valuable World Test Championship points.
Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj will be central to their bid to win this series after their star turns at Lord’s.
India were fired up by a bizarre incident when Anderson accused Bumrah of cheating and we can expect a little bit more edge between these two sides before the series is through.
They may have the series lead, but India will want to improve with bat in hand, having required rearguard actions to dig them out of holes in both preceding matches.
Verdict: India 27/20
India by a whisker.
