Reports arrive that Virat Kohli is set to play the 3rd test, after the batsman was seeing practising ahead of the match.
Virat Kohli’s fitness left the entire Indian supporters’ base and the team dugout sweating. The 28 year old injured his lower back in the second test at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. He looked increasingly uncomfortable while batting in the second innings. To make things worse, he was not on the pitch on day four.
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Issues with his back and failure to be present due to the discomfort meant that Kohli’s place for the third test became doubtful. This would have come as a major blow for India who anyway cannot afford to undergo lapses after two pathetic displays in Edgbaston and London.
However, Virat Kohli has now been declared fit for the third test. He was spotted completing a batting drill in the nets and left the sets with three bats in his hands. This gave some ray of hope to the Indians, only for the well known cricket expert Chetan Narula to confirm Kohli’s availability for the third test via his official Twitter account.
Things are falling in place for India finally. Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane, who delivered the goods last time out in England have been miserable this time out and will have to prove a point. Jasprit Bumrah has also been deemed fit for the Trent Bridge outing having missed the second test.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Hardik Pandya have also been passed fit after hurting their bowling arms in the second test. With no room for error and certainly not for another slip-up, India can be expected to do well and will head into the third test with great desire to grab a win that will bring them back into the tie.
With that said, the opening batsmen will have to deliver with the new ball so that the middle order gets to trouble the English bowlers. The top order has been absolutely under par this summer. On the other hand, England have had a very easy to two wins in two matches and will have to face a determined India side in the next match.
