England vs India 2018: Probable Indian Playing XI for the Third Test

With India suffering back-to-back defeats against England, Virat Kohli's team selection has come under the scanner and it is high time that he rectifies the selection issues and comes up with the best possible eleven to put up a better show in the third Test in Nottingham.

The chopping and changing haven't helped India's cause as they would look to have a settled lineup for the next 3 Tests barring the welcome addition of Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (expected to be fit for the 4th Test).

India's Squad for the 3rd Test: Virat Kohli (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami.

Let us take a look at the probable playing eleven for India for the third test beginning on Saturday.

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Openers: Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay

Dhawan and Vijay could form a decent opening pair for India

This might raise a few eyebrows as Murali Vijay has consistently underperformed in this series. With scores of 20, 6, 0 and 0, Vijay has not done justice to his talent as an opener and his record in 2018 is quite horrible barring the Test against Afghanistan. But he has the technique and the solidity to succeed in overseas tours and the team management might be tempted to give him an extended run for the third Test. Vijay's experience would come in handy for India if he gets back to his own positive self.

The poor performance of both the openers means that Dhawan (with scores of 26 and 13) could just get the nod ahead of KL Rahul, who hasn't been in the best of form with scores of 4, 13, 8 and 10. This change provides a left-right combination for India at the top of the order. Dhawan and Vijay put on a fifty runs opening stand in the first Test and that adds value to Dhawan's inclusion. A confident Shikhar Dhawan and a solid Murali Vijay could well turn the fortunes for India.

Middle Order: Pujara, Kohli (C) and Rahane

Pujara, Kohli and Rahane are crucial for India to put up a good score on the board

Pujara was solid in defence in the second Test and although he had scores of 1 and 1, he showed great technique to handle the duke ball in testing conditions. He was very confident in his ability to stay in the crease and his solidity is imperative for India at No.3. He is certainly going to play a crucial role by preserving his wicket and supporting other batsmen.

India's captain Virat Kohli will bat at No.4 and no surprises as it is a no-brainer. Virat showed his class in Edgbaston with his masterly 149 and 51, where no other Indian batsman could aggregate more than 50. His good technique, ability to bat with the tail and his efficient stroke making makes him all the more important as a No.4 batsman.

India's vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will take the No.5 spot purely based on his performance in overseas conditions. Although he hasn't been in good touch in this series, it is high time that Virat sticks to him as the No.5 batsman and give him the much-needed confidence going forward, unlike the South Africa tour where he was dropped for two Tests.

His crucial 48 in tough batting conditions in the Johannesburg test is a testimony to his greatness. So, Rahane should bat at No.5 and these three players are going to be crucial for India's chances in the upcoming three Tests.

Wicket Keeper: Rishabh Pant

Karthik had a dismal outing with the bat and Rishabh Pant may take his place in the eleven

Dinesh Karthik was drafted in the Indian Test squad after the Nidahas Trophy heroics and a decent IPL season for KKR. But with scores of 0, 20, 1 and 0, he has not justified his selection one bit and his wicket keeping skills also seem to be below par.

The fact that he has not played Test cricket for India for a long period of time (barring the test against Afghanistan) doesn't help his cause either. India would certainly be tempted to remove him from the playing eleven and give an opportunity to Rishabh Pant who had an excellent Ranji season and a decent performance in the 3-day practice game against Essex.

Pant's fearless attitude could be a blessing in disguise for India for the next three Tests and the fact that he is a left-handed batsman favours his selection. A fearless left-handed batsman down the order can help boost the scoring rate to a certain extent and the talented youngster is certainly a good pick at No.6 for India.

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya and Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin and Pandya will be the two all-rounders for India in the third test

Hardik Pandya certainly does not possess the best technique for Test cricket, but he has performed quite well compared to the other Indian batsmen with scores of 22, 31, 11 and 26. With a bit more application and a tinge of aggression, Pandya could well make a difference with the bat with those 70s and 80s.

He has got starts but failed to capitalize on those, but not poor enough to drop him from the side. He was not used as a bowler for the most part of the first Test but he picked up 3 wickets in the second Test to boost his confidence. Pandya would be a good pick at No.7 for India.

Ravichandran Ashwin will be the lone spinner for India and his bowling performance in the first Test was outstanding but was not used properly in the second Test. With the bat, Ashwin has shown a lot of temperament and top scored for India in both the innings of the second Test. His ability to play groundstrokes freely and score those 30-35 crucial runs lower down the order makes him a definite pick at No.8.

Pace Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah/Umesh Yadav

Shami's swing, Ishant's experience and Bumrah's yorkers would be handy for India in the third test

Mohammed Shami has been outstanding for India, picking up 3 wickets in both the games of the series. His ability to trouble the batsmen with good pace and quality swing makes him a lethal weapon for India's bowling lineup. One of the biggest positives for Shami is his ability to reverse-swing the ball and if he can deliver a magic spell of fast bowling, India will be in with a great chance of bowling England out for a low score.

Ishant's experience would come in handy for India as he can also swing the ball but at a lesser pace compared to Shami. His 7 wicket haul in the Lord's 2014 Test and 5-fer in Edgbaston 2018 proves that he is one of the best picks for the remainder of the series.

It would be fantastic for India if Jasprit Bumrah could take the third pacer's slot as he has a lot of variations up his sleeve and can bamboozle the best of batsmen in world cricket. His toe-crushing yorkers could be the best possible way for India to stop the English tail from scoring too many runs.

India certainly missed the services of Bumrah in the first two Tests and he would walk into the playing eleven for the third Test if he is match-fit.

If Bumrah is not match-fit for the third Test, Umesh Yadav is likely to be the third pacer for India and he can trouble the batsmen with his pace and bounce. Although wayward at times, he can come in handy for India in swinging conditions like these. So, Bumrah/Umesh is expected to take Kuldeep Yadav's slot for the third Test in Trent Bridge, Nottingham.