INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Welcome to the coverage of third Test between England and India at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Saturday.Shaken by abject surrender in the
first two Tests, a desperate India are expected to ring in a slew of changes as they aim at redemption against a rampaging England in a
do-or-die third Test of the five-match series.For the Indian team, the Trent Bridge Test will be their last chance to save the series after
being outplayed in the first two Test matches -- by 31 runs Edgbaston and then by an innings and 159 runs at the Lord's.Down 0-2 with only
five and half days of competitive cricket in all, skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri will be aiming to get the team combination
right having bungled at the Lord's.As a result, India will play their 38th combination in as many matches that skipper Kohli had led.The
most awaited change will be 20-year-old Rishabh Pant's imminent Test debut replacing a horribly out-of-form Dinesh Karthik, who might well
have played his last international game in the longest format.With scores of 0, 20, 1 0 in four innings coupled with shoddy glovework meant
that Karthik was seen giving catching practice to Pant, who also spend considerable time batting at the nets.Jasprit Bumrah is fit again;
Ravichandran Ashwin and Hardik Pandya have recovered completely from their hand injuries suffered while batting at Lords, and skipper Kohli
has more or less recovered from his back problems.Nevertheless, there are bound to be changes in the playing eleven for some vital members
of the squad are now seemingly bereft of confidence.Murali Vijay has scored only 128 runs in 10 overseas Test innings against South Africa
An average of 12.8 is tough to ignore, but for a batsman of his calibre, the team management could still afford another chance given that
India need to win this game.At the same time however, it brings Shikhar Dhawan back into contention
He averages 17.75 against South Africa and England in two Tests this year, and his overall average in England is 20.12 (four Tests)
In these two instances, he has scored at a strike-rate of 68.93 and 57.29, respectively, which could once again go in his favour.There is
every chance that India could opt for their third different opening pairing of Dhawan and KL Rahul in as many Tests, the middle order will
Especially with Kohli regaining fitness, Karun Nair still isn't seen to be active during practice sessions
It was the case in Birmingham and London, as well as in Nottingham, and playing an extra specialist batsman is not in the management's
