Virat Kohli's Indian cricket team has a terrific chance to take an unassailable 2-0 lead over England in the best-of-five Test series with conditions in Mohali, venue for the third match, expected to assist spin. All signs from the PCA Stadium indicate that the surface will encourage turn - the last Test here was over inside three days, with spin claiming 34 of the 40 wickets to fall - because of a lack of thick grass cover, which leaves India at an advantage given how well R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Jayant Yadav bowled to England's batsmen in the second Test. India, ranked No 1 in the ICC Test championship, drew level with the previous second best record of 16 home Tests without defeat when they beat England by 246 runs in Visakhapatnam. In Mohali, where the weather is expected to be pleasant but the surface not kind to seam bowling, they will be confident of extending that streak to 17. England have plenty to do to challenge the home team and keep the series alive, not in the least finding batsmen who can cope with the spin challenge that Ashwin, Jadeja and Yadav pose. They have injury and form concerns, which is not a favorable space to be in when you're a team with aspirations of reclaiming No 1 but struggling to beat the conditions.
Venue: PCA Cricket Stadium, Mohali
Start date: November 26, 2016
Time: 09:30 IST
Weather: Clear and pleasant conditions with a maximum temperature of 29 degrees
Team news:
India
Wriddhiman Saha being rested as a precaution over a thigh strain has created an opportunity for Parthiv Patel to play a Test after more than eight years. Saha has most often batted behind R Ashwin at No 7, but with Parthiv could slot in higher. Being a left-hander adds dimension to the middle order. Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return will not automatically merit a return to the XI - he took six wickets in his last Test, against New Zealand in Kolkata - given the types of pitches on display in the series.
Probable XI: 1 Murali Vijay, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Parthiv Patel (wk), 7 R Ashwin, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Jayant Yadav, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11, Mohammed Shami
England
What are England's options? News on Thursday that Stuart Broad missed the team's first practice session in Mohali has all but confirmed that he will miss out; the fast bowler bowled admirably in India's second innings in Visakhapatnam despite the pain of a strained tendon in his right foot. Broad's fitness concerns most surely mean a return for Chris Woakes, who was very good in Rajkot despite the scorecard showing just one wicket. Ben Duckett's abject failures against spin should mean a return for Jos Buttler, who has only played one first-class match in the last year. Whether Buttler bats at No 4 is not so straightforward; equally tricky would be the call to promote Moeen Ali, who usually bats lower. Zafar Ansari was rendered ineffective for the second half of the Vizag Test and looks set to be dropped for offspinner Gareth Batty, who has not got a look-in since his impressive showing in the first Test of the Bangladesh tour.
Probable XI: 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Haseeb Hameed, 3 Joe Root, 4 Jos Buttler, 5 Moeen Ali, 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Ben Stokes, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Gareth Batty, 11 James Anderson