Rajkot (Gujarat) [India], January 27 : England announced an unchanged playing XI on the eve of the third T20I against India in Rajkot, Gujarat.
England continued the trend of announcing their playing XI a day before the T20I. The Three Lions are on the brink of losing the T20I series after suffering defeats in the first two games.
For the third T20I, Ben Duckett and Philip Salt will open the innings for England, with captain Jos Buttler coming in at the number three spot. Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith, and Jamie Overton will form a formidable middle order. Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, and Mark Wood will lead the pace attack, with Adil Rashid featuring as the sole specialist spinner. As in the previous T20Is, Livingstone may chip in with his leg-spin for a couple of overs.
With the series on the line, the third T20I will be of great significance for the English side. The Jos Buttler-led team was comprehensively defeated in the series opener but managed to give India a tough fight in Chennai.
In the first T20I at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the English batters were bamboozled by the Indian bowlers. Left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh made quick work of the opening pair of Duckett and Salt. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy proved to be a mystery for the opposition batters as India bowled England out for a meager total of 132. In reply, Abhishek Sharma's fireworks against a toothless English attack helped India secure a 7-wicket win.
In the second match, T20I action returned to Chennai after seven years. India needed something special to cross the finish line. A quick cameo of 31(17) from Brydon Carse helped England reach 165/9. In reply, India lost wickets in quick succession, leaving the hosts in a tough spot. However, Tilak Varma shouldered the responsibility of guiding his team across the finish line, executing his plan to perfection with an unbeaten 72(55) to bring India home with a 2-wicket win.
England (Playing XI) for the third T20I: Ben Duckett, Philip Salt(w), Jos Buttler(c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.