Sooryavanshi to retain opening spot, Prince Yadav replaces Ravi Bishnoi:Too many left-handers in batting order? India’s possible XI for 3rd T20I

India have their task cut out as they gear up to face England in the third T20I of the five-match series. Shreyas Iyer has not had the start to T20I captaincy that he would have wanted to, losing all three completed matches so far, including a shock 0-2 whitewash at the hands of Ireland. Now 0-1 down in the T20I series against England, India must look to regroup and, if possible, rejig their combination in the third match, which is to be played in Nottingham on 7 July. So what changes can India make to their playing XI come the third T20I? Let’s explore. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi retains opening spot The world witnessed history as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his international debut, becoming the youngest ever Indian to do so, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. The youngster showed glimpses of why he was so highly rated, with 14 runs off just 10 balls, including a huge six he hit off the first ball he faced from Jofra Archer. Although his innings was cut short at 14, there was plenty of promise to retain him as an opener in the 3rd T20I. He and Abhishek Sharma looked very good as an opening pair, putting up 50 runs in just 4.4 overs and there’s no reason not to retain the same combination. Ishan Kishan, at number three, showed good form in the second T20I and would look to make it count in the third game as well. Are India playing too many left-handers in their batting order? Six out of India’s top seven in the batting order are left-handers and that presents an obvious risk against right-arm off-spin and pacers who swing the ball away from the bat. The right-arm off-spin threat might not be that lethal, as England have just one bowler of that sort- Will Jacks. Jacks interestingly got the wicket of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with a ball that spun away, something that lefties often struggle against. Abhishek and Sooryavanshi also had a number of plays and misses outside the off-stump in the initial part of the first innings. While this can be an argument that India might have too many left-handers in their batting order, with captain Shreyas Iyer being the exception, all of the players have somewhat made themselves indispensable. Abhishek is in good form, Ishan is the no 1 ranked batter. Shivam Dube did well in the washed-out series opener and Axar offers a reliable spin-bowling option. Tilak Varma, on his part, is the vice-captain and showcased his finishing skills in the last game. While playing too many left-handers is indeed a highlight, it won’t become a big talking point unless there’s a big batting collapse or suitable replacements. All-round responsibilities lie with Axar, Shivam In terms of all-rounders, India would want Shivam Dube and Axar Patel to shoulder the responsibilities. Dube impressed in the opening T20I with a good finish for India, while Axar made his mark in the second game, taking the big wicket of Harry Brook when the England captain was going strong. Dube could not make an impact with the bat in the second match and neither was his bowling utilised. For India to bounce back and score their first win of the series, they would need both Axar and Dube to fire all guns blazing. Also read: Sooryavanshi reveals father’s advice on eve of India debut: Thanks fans with special post on Instagram, Gambhir uplifts Samson’s morale Ravi Bishnoi likely to be dropped for Prince Yadav One change and it might be the most obvious one, is Ravi Bishnoi making way for Prince Yadav. Bishnoi’s 17th over, which yielded 29 runs, was the game-changing one as it pushed India out of the contest totally. The leg-spinner bowled a total of three back-foot no-balls, which proved costly as England took advantage of the lapse. One change that India can make to their bowling attack is to bring in Prince Yadav in place of Bishnoi. Prince impressed on his T20I debut in the second T20I against Ireland, taking three wickets and his pace might make a difference in English conditions. Graphics: Nikhil Valari