India, 2-1 up in the series, will face England in final Test match of the series, in Motera. India need a minimum of a draw to qualify for the final of the ICC World Test Championship final later this year against New Zealand at Lord’s. However, if England ruin their party with a win, Australia will sneak through at India’s expense. Ahead of the Test match, here are some key clashes.
Ishant Sharma vs Jonny Bairstow: Fourteen years after his debut, Ishant is still going strong, pitching it just short of length at pace to make life miserable for batsman. He did not have much to do in the previous Test, but this may be his moment. He will be up against Bairstow, a quality batsman four years ago but with five ducks in his last seven innings against India including a pair in the last Test match. With his place in the Test side under threat, can Bairstow play a career-saving innings?
Axar Patel vs Joe Root: Root began the tour with a 218 and 40, but it was also the only Test Axar has missed. Since then he has scored 6, 33, 17, 19, and Axar has got him in three of the four innings. Axar’s ability to vary his trajectory has forced Root to use the sweep more judiciously, cutting down what has been his most prolific run-scoring method of late. He will need to come up with something special.
R Ashwin vs Ben Stokes: Ashwin has got Stokes out 11 times in 11 Test matches. Nobody else has got Stokes as many times, while no batsman has been out as frequently to Ashwin. It has been a one-way traffic so far. However, after struggling a couple of times, Stokes decided to take the spinners on in the second innings at Motera. The effort bore fruit for a while. A turnaround on the cards, perhaps. Or perhaps not.
Jofra Archer vs Shubman Gill: While Gill’s talent is unquestionable, he has not quite got the better of Archer. Archer tormented Gill in the IPL, found his edge in the first Test match here, missed the second, and peppered him with bouncers before eventually breaking through in the third. This is likely to be a riveting contest between two future superstars.
James Anderson vs Virat Kohli: Kohli had gone through 2020 without a hundred, and will be keen to put an end to the wait. Anderson, on the other hand, has not dismissed Kohli since 2014. He would have got him in the previous Test had Ollie Pope not grassed an easy chance. The titans will clash again in England this summer, but this will almost certainly be their last encounter on Indian soil, and both men will look forward to put their uncomfortable streaks to end.