Archer in, Burns out: Vaughan suggests changes in England's playing XI for Motera D/N Test

After having lost the second Test against India, former cricketer Michael Vaughan has suggested five changes in England playing XI ahead of the third Test at the Motera stadium. The former England skipper wants opener, Rory Burns, to be dropped and Zak Crawley in place to counter Ravichandran Ashwin when India and England lock horns in Ahmedabad next. The third Test is set to be a day-night affair and will be played at the Motera stadium from February 21. 

“I would pick Crawley instead of Burns because [Ravichandran] Ashwin loves bowling at left-handers, and I want to pack that top-four with right-handers; I want four right-handers at the top of the order to try and nullify Ashwin. He’s brilliant against both, but he has left-handers on toast. So I would go with Crawley instead of Burns at the top of the order,” Michael Vaughan said on the Tuffers and Vaughan podcast.

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'Archer plays if he's fit'

Apart from this, the former English skipper who has been proactive in analysing the current series, added that Jonny Bairstow needs to be back in the playing XI instead of Daniel Lawrence. Vaughan had strongly criticized the ECB for resting Bairstow for the first two Tests. Moreover, Vaughan suggested that if Jofra Archer is fully fit, he needs to come back in for Olly Stone and James Anderson for Stuart Broad. 

“I think Jofra Archer plays if he’s fit. If he’s ready to bowl with the venom he did in the first Test, he plays because England needs that point of difference. Olly Stone bowled really well, too, so he could also come into the equation,” Vaughan added.

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With the finale of the World Test Championship on line, both teams need to win the remaining Tests in order to stake claim on the finale berth at the Lord's. On Thursday, the ECB confirmed that ace all-rounder Sam Curran has been ruled out of the Test series against India and will return for the limited-overs series. After being rested for the first two Tests, the young all-rounder was slated to be in contention for the remaining matches. However, keeping the bio-bubble constraints in view, his rest period was prolonged even as Mark Wood and Bairstow flew to India for the third Test. Now, the ECB has said that Curran will miss the fourth Test as well and be back for the limited-overs series directly.

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India announce squad for last 2 Tests 

Senior pacer Umesh Yadav will join the team in Ahmedabad and after his fitness assessment. Yadav will be replacing Shardul Thakur, who will be released for Vijay Hazare Trophy. Pacers Ankit Rajpoot, Avesh Khan as well as Sandeep Warrier, and the spin duo of  Krishnappa Gowtham, and Saurabh Kumar has been roped in as the net bowlers whereas, wicket-keeper batsman KS Bharat, and leggie Rahul Chahar have been selected as Standby players. The Indian squad remains mostly unchanged going into the day-night Test at the Motera. 

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England squad for Third Test: Joe Root (C), James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

India squad for Third Test: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vc), KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Md. Siraj.