"Extra seamer seems..." - Michael Atherton shares picture of Rajkot pitch ahead of 3rd IND vs ENG Test

Former England cricketer Michael Atherton on Wednesday (14th February) unveiled the pitch for the third India vs England Test. The match between the two heavyweights of the game will take place from Friday (15th February) at the Saurashtra Cricket Associand.

The series is leveled at 1-1 as both the teams have displayed magnificent brand of cricket. England emerged victorious in the first game while the hosts made a strong comeback and leveled the series in Vizag.

England have challenged India a lot in their home conditions and have fought tooth and nail. The two teams had a short break after the second game and now have been training hard for the third game in Rajkot. With the way the series has panned out so far, it is expected to be a cracker of a game.

There also have been a lot of speculations about what kind of pitch will be on the fray for the third game. India spinner Kuldeep Yadav during the press conference provided updates about the pitch, saying that it will be a good wicket and not a rank turner.

With the game less than 24 hours away, the pitch for the match has been revealed. Former England cricketer Michael Atherton, who is part of the commentary panel for the ongoing series, shared the picture of the pitch on his social media account and updated the fans about the same.

Michael Atherton believes that England have done the right thing by adding the extra seamer to the team. He posted the picture on his Twitter account with the caption: “Extra seamer seems sensible for England. Here’s the pitch at Rajkot, one day out.”

Here’s the post:

Extra seamer seems sensible for England. Here’s the pitch at Rajkot, one day out pic.twitter.com/mp0s3jIam2

— Mike atherton (@Athersmike) February 14, 2024

The Rajkot surface generally has been batting-friendly and also offers good bounce and carry, which keeps spinners and pacers in the hunt. The last time India and England played a Test at this venue was in 2016. The game ended in a draw but it saw magnificent performances from both teams.

England meanwhile have named their playing 11 for the match against India in Rajkot. They have dropped Shoaib Bashir from the team and have added Mark Wood to the team. This is the only change they have made in the team for the Rajkot Test.

Here’s the England XI for the third IND vs ENG Test:

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson

You want your cracker jack bowler – Michael Atherton wants Jasprit Bumrah to play the Rajkot Test

Of late there has been a lot of news surrounding Jasprit Bumrah. The reports claimed that the pacer might be rested to manage his workload. There has been no clarity if he will feature in the match or not but considering the break between the second and third Test, he might play.

Michael Atherton wants Jasprit Bumrah to play in the Rajkot Test, saying that he needs to feature on a flat track like this to turn the game. He believes that the fast bowler should play the third game and then take a rest in 4th match in Ranchi. Speaking to Sky Cricket, he explained:

“You want your cracker jack bowler, who can open up the game when the conditions are flat. But then it’s a quick turnaround to Ranchi and then Dharamsala where you probably want your seamers to play as it’s a bit cooler. I would’ve thought the favourite for him is to play here and in Dharamsala. Depending upon how it goes here, they may look to rest him in Ranchi.”

Jasprit Bumrah has taken 15 wickets in the two games so far. He by far has been the best pacer in the series and would be eager to claim more wickets.