Mark Wood likely to replace Shoaib Bashir in Rajkot Test as England eyes two seamers in playing 11

Mark Wood is highly likely to make a comeback in the India vs England 3rd Test. He might replace Shoaib Bashir in the playing 11. Mark Wood was part of IND vs ENG 1st Test but was dropped in the 2nd encounter at Vizag.

England has opted for only 1 pacer in the playing 11 in both games. Mark Wood was the only pacer in the playing 11 in the 1st Test. In the 2nd Test, James Anderson was picked and Wood was rested. In both games, the visitors picked three spinners.

Although picking one pacer worked well for England in the 1st Test, it backfired in the next game. England won the 1st Test by 28 runs. However, in the second Test, Yashasvi Jaiswal jolted the England spinners by smacking a double century.

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Mark Wood likely to be part of India vs England 3rd Test

England skipper Ben Stokes said the team might be looking to add both Mark Wood and James Anderson in the playing 11. He also noted adding two seamers will help Mark Wood to get more rest during the match.

“The reasons why we would look at Jimmy and Woody would be I just like to have a point of difference. And India is never a three-seamer option. Obviously having Woody’s high pace, and if we were to go with two seamers again, it would give a bit more rest to Woody as he was that sole seamer in the first Test”.

“So managing his workload. If we were to go with two seamers, we might be able to get a bit more versatility and use Woody how we want to use him out here and not worry he’s the only seamer.”, Stokes was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo.

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Shoaib Bashir to be dropped to make way for Mark Wood

Notably, spinner Shoaib Bashir is highly likely to be dropped from the playing 11 in the Rajkot Test to make way for Mark Wood. England picked three spinners in the previous game- Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, and Shoaib Bashir.

Tom Hartley is the leading wicket-taker for England in the series with 14 scalps across 2 games. He picked a match-winning 7-wicket haul in the 1st Test. Rehan Ahmed has also showcased a marvelous form, hunting down 8 wickets across 2 matches. Moreover, he is also a powerful tailender batsman.

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Shoaib Bashir made his Test debut in Vizag Test

Shoaib Bashir made his Test debut in IND vs ENG 2nd Test in Visakhapatnam. He got 4 wickets across the match. Since England already has an occasional off-spinner Joe Root, Bashir is likely to leave his spot for Mark Wood.

India vs England 3rd Test will be played at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in, Rajkot. The series is tied at 1-1 after two games. England will announce playing 11 for the 3rd Test on Wednesday, February 14.