London — The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) released the lineup for the third Twenty‑20 International of the India tour of England, scheduled for Thursday at Lord’s. England will field a side that includes captain Jos Bennett, opening batters Jos Bennett and Dawid Malan, and a pace attack anchored by Mark Wood and Jofra Archer. India’s squad, named by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), features captain Hardik Pandya, openers Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad, with a spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Yuzvendra Chahal. Both teams retained several regulars from the previous two matches, while a few changes were made: England dropped Moeen Ali in favour of a specialist bowler, and India introduced all‑rounder Rahul Tripathi as a substitute for an injured player.
The match will be the series decider, with England leading 1‑0 after winning the second T20. A victory for India would level the series at 1‑1, setting up a final T20 in Manchester a week later.
Analysis: The selections reflect each side’s strategic priorities. England’s inclusion of extra pace suggests confidence in exploiting the traditionally seam‑friendly conditions at Lord’s, while the omission of Moeen Ali indicates a shift away from spin in favour of a more aggressive bowling plan. India’s decision to retain their opening pair of Gill and Gaikwad underscores the board’s trust in their recent form, and the addition of Tripathi provides depth in the lower order, potentially bolstering the finish in a high‑scoring format. Both teams appear to be balancing experience with the need for flexibility ahead of the series‑deciding match.
Sources
– Google News India, “Playing XI – ENG vs IND 3rd T20I | India tour of England Squad” (https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxPUnhJYzZjNHlOZmdHSTZzOVUtWFRCOG9CV0hlelo1ZVJoaWJwUkE3dVZZVXU2RVZybGt1Wl9JYXNtMjJqYmxfZUdlVVdWMnAyb3cxM3BmWHlfcV94dFpJT0xXRHAyeFI1M0pjNE1LeXpBZzhlMDhtM1h2ZEJHWWkybkxaN1VHMWFxMXEyQkQzbkpyQVhZWFk2RzFOZEZQaURyVTVONDdMOTN6NTYzTFNmb2p3).
Story synopsis gathered from: Google News India — source
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