IND V ENG: REDEMPTION TIME FOR COOK & CO.

After scaring the hosts in the first match of the five test series, England slumped to one of their biggest losses in the second encounter at Visakhapatnam. The momentum is now with India and Alastair Cook’s men have to pull up their socks in the third match here at Mohali.

The PCA Stadium has been rumoured to be one of the liveliest in the country, aiding seamers with pace and bounce. This belief was formulated since the first test match which was played in 1994. The West Indian pacers had unleashed their fury and defeated India by 243 runs.

Presently, that belief is more of a myth. Since the maiden test, India has never lost at this venue. In the last match against South Africa, the spinners accounted for 34 of the wickets. In effect, it seems to be a familiar track for the strong spinning unit of the Indian team.

Kohli would be the toughest challenge for Cook. Image Courtesy: indianexpress.com

For the visitors, the main cause of concern will be the Indian skipper himself. Virat Kohli’s scintillating century in the last test (and an aggregate of 248 runs) took the match away from England. Alastair Cook reportedly said that barring Kohli’s performance, England had put the hosts under pressure. Thus, dismissing Kohli cheaply could change the scenario of the game.

Kohli will be under the spotlight as recently a British tabloid published footage accusing him of ball tampering during the Rajkot Test. Nothing materialised as there were no complaints within five days of the incident. The batsman needs to be careful as the Englishmen will not leave any opportunity to push him into a tight corner.

The 33-year old would be looking to replicate his domestic form. Image Courtesy: Indian Express

The focus will also be on comeback man Parthiv Patel who will be playing a test for his nation after 8 long years. The wicketkeeper-batsman’s career has come full circle as he pads up in Mohali against England. It is the same opposition, against whom he had made his debut 14 years back. He has performed well for Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy, retaining an average of 59.28. It would be upto the southpaw to make the most of this opportunity.

He will be replacing Wriddhiman Saha, who has been sidelined with a thigh strain. Saha has not been in the best of form and will hope to recover quickly. He needs to step up and prove that he is the best replacement for MS Dhoni.

Just a few days back, Zaheer Khan was rejected as India’s bowling coach. Probably, the performance of the Indian bowlers in the second innings of Vizag test was the clincher in this regard. Mohali will be the place for Ashwin and Co. to prove the righteousness of the call.

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