India vs England 2021: Zak Crawley Will Be Certainly In The Mix To Play 3rd Test, Says Graham Thorpe

England batting coach — Graham Thorpe has hinted that Zak Crawley could be in line to play the pink-ball Test in Ahmedabad after recovering from the injury. The top-order batsman missed the second Test due to an injury and will now be in contention to play his first test on Indian soil. Crawley could be fighting for the number three spot or the opener spot along with the likes of Jonny Bairstow, who was in good form in the subcontinent.

England lost the second Test against India by a huge margin of 317 runs and all eyes will be on them in the pink-ball Test at Ahmedabad. The new stadium with a record capacity has been the talk of the hour and there have already been signs of the pink ball threatening the England batsman in the nets session. It is expected to be a belter of a contest between the two nations in the third test starting tomorrow.

“We Have Got A Choice To Make” – Graham Thorpe

Graham Thorpe mentioned that Zak Crawley is looking fit and it will be a tough choice to pick for the third test with the number of quality players available. He added that Bairstow will also be in contention and credited him for his excellent ability to play spin. Jonny Bairstow scored 47, 35*, 28, and 29 in the four innings against Sri Lanka and is in the scheme of things for the third test.

“He (Crawley) is looking fit, and I think we have probably got a full complement of players to pick from, so he (Crawley) will be certainly in the mix, and his injury seems to have healed for me, watching him in the nets.

“Johnny did well in Sri Lanka; he will come back into the mix. All the players are fit, so we have got a choice to make going into this match. We know what Johnny’s credentials are; he is a good player of spin, he (has) got a decent record, he played well in Sri Lanka, so he is certainly going to be in with a shout,” Graham Thorpe added.

“Ball generally does swing more under the lights” – Graham Thorpe

Graham Thorpe mentioned that the new Motera pitch will certainly assist the seamers under the lights even if the pitch is relatively slow. He added that the pacers will have an impact on the pink ball Test which wasn’t the case in the second Test at Chennai.

“It is possible, it’s possible (seamers making an impact), I mean without looking into it, the crystal ball. But I would imagine that the ball generally does swing more under the lights,” Graham Thorpe added.