Jasprit Bumrah could be England’s biggest threat at Rajkot as the wicket would assist reverse swing says Zaheer Khan

After a 10-day break, the action is underway as India and England will be up against each other tomorrow for the third test of the series at Rajkot. With the action just a day away, speculations about the nature of the wicket have started to gain traction as after what has been the pattern of the series so far, we could anticipate another good competitive wicket at Rajkot.

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Rajkot’s wicket traditionally is known to be batting-friendly and Ravindra Jadeja has amassed two triple centuries on this venue in domestic cricket. Amid all the talks about the wicket, India’s veteran pacer Zaheer Khan has entered the bandwagon and has given a major prediction ahead of the third test.

Zaheer Khan emphasizes the importance of Reverse Swing in Rajkot

Zaheer Khan has predicted that reverse swing will play an important role on this track while bowling. Speaking to the host broadcaster Jio Cinema, Zaheer said, “I hope the pitch is on similar lines to the one in Hyderabad and Vizag. On that kind of surface, we should be able to see a good contest between bat and ball for the first two days and spin comes into play on the third day.

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He further added, "You’ll see some reverse swing as well. And on the fourth and fifth days, you’ll have the spinners dominating. If that is the pattern, it will make for a nice viewing experience for all the spectators, and the fans will enjoy it."  

Jasprit Bumrah dismantled the English batting in the 2nd test by taking 9 wickets in the match on a spin-friendly pitch with the help of reverse swing. Jasprit Bumrah is a great exponent of reverse swing on dry conditions and can change the tide of the match with his lethal Yorkers and deceiving change of pace in the 3rd test.

England have already announced their playing XI and have brought in Mark Wood in place of Shoaib Bashir to make use of any help of the wicket if any. On the other hand, with Jadeja being available, India will look to sort their bowling combination as there will be a toss-up between Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav for the one spinner slot in the team.