India vs England 2021: “Zak Crawley will be in the mix” – England batting coach Graham Thorpe speaks on line-up for third test


India vs England 2021: “Zak Crawley will be in the mix” – England batting coach Graham Thorpe speaks on line-up for third test
Zak Crawley
Zak Crawley

England’s batting coach Graham Thorpe revealed that Zak Crawley would be in the reckoning for a place in the playing XI for the third test against India in Ahmedabad. The series is currently level at 1-1 after the first two tests in Chennai. The visitors drew first blood by blowing away India in the first test thanks to skipper Joe Root‘s double-hundred. The hosts then responded in some style by notching up a 317-run victory.

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For England, there will be questions plaguing them now with regard to team selection. They have been very particular about their policy of rotation in order to manage workload. With players like Jonny Bairstow and Crawley back in the mix and Moeen Ali having returned to England, the visitors are certain to make changes. Thorpe hinted at the inclusion of Crawley while speaking to reporters.

‘We’ve got a full complement of players to pick from’ – Graham Thorpe

Graham Thorpe

Graham Thorpe spoke at a virtual press conference and was asked about the return of Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow. He said, “Crawley is looking fit, and I think we have probably got a full complement of players to pick from, so he (Crawley) will be certainly in the mix, and his injury seems to have healed for me, watching him in the nets.”

“Johnny did well in Sri Lanka; he will come back into the mix. All the players are fit, so we have got a choice to make going into this match. We know what Johnny’s credentials are; he is a good player of spin, he (has) got a decent record, he played well in Sri Lanka, so he is certainly going to be in with a shout,” Thorpe added.

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Talking about the need for going with more seamers and on the prospect of seamers making a huge impact in the day/night test, he said, “It is possible, it’s possible (seamers making an impact), I mean without looking into it, the crystal ball. But I would imagine that the ball generally does swing more under the lights,” and signed off.

Also Read: India vs England 2021: Predicting India’s playing XI for the third test