India will look to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in Rajkot © Sportzpics India’s spinners and England’s pacers have largely set the tone for the T20I series, but that dynamic could shift when the teams clash in the third T20I in Rajkot. Earlier this month, India women scored 370 for 5 and 435 for 5 against Ireland, the latter being the highest score for India in ODIs. Considering the swashbuckling stroke-makers in both sides, the license to attack and a batting-friendly pitch that is likely to be on offer, the Niranjan Shah Stadium could witness some more records as it did recently. And then there’s also the matter of the series being on the line for England, who are 0-2 down. India’s two half-centuries in the series so far have been contrasting in style. Abhishek Sharma’s aggressive, no-holds-barred approach and Tilak Varma’s smooth gear-shiftinghave driven India’s successful run-chases. But the others are yet to make a significant impact, and especially the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson will be determined to assert themselves in the middle. Likewise, England will be counting on their top-order batters to step up and deliver. Apart from Jos Buttler, runs at the top have been scarce. Without the vital contributions from Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse lower down the order in the last game, the match might not have been as competitive. Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy had a rare off day in Chennai, proving slightly expensive. However, they will aim to bounce back and spearhead a disciplined collective effort, which will be crucial in challenging bowling conditions. Jofra Archer too registered his most expensive T20 figures in the last match but Mark Wood backed the premier quick to be back at his best. “I don’t think McCullum wants us to worry about runs too much,” said Wood in reference to bowling on flat decks, and stressed that England’s focus will be on wickets and accuracy, even if the pitch doesn’t support them. When: Tuesday, January 28 at 7:00 PM IST Where: Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot What to expect: The average first innings total in the five T20Is played here is 189, with India scoring 228 for 5 against Sri Lanka the last time they played in Rajkot. There were also plenty of 170-plus totals in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches held here in November-December. The pitch itself looked rather pale without much grass. All these suggest a high-scoring encounter is on the cards. The chasing sides have had a better success rate in T20 games played in Rajkot. Teams watch: India Shivam Dube and Ramandeep Singh, who were called in as replacements, attended the practice session. Dhruv Jurel and Washington Sundar, who played in the previous game, are likely to be persisted with. India may leave out Ravi Bishnoi and bring in a quick if they want to strengthen their pace department. Mohammed Shami is fit, confirmed batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, who added that his inclusion is a call that will be taken by the head coach and the captain. “There is definitely a plan, and looking (at him) for coming matches as well as the one-dayers. So, that is something the coach Gautam and obviously Surya will take a call. But fitness is definitely not a problem. It depends on how they are planning to build his load,” he said. If they want to play Shami towards the end of the series leading into the ODIs and the Champions Trophy then Harshit Rana is another pace option. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson arrived at the ground a lot earlier before India’s practice session started and was seen batting against plastic balls on a cement pitch. He later batted on the side nets and appeared rather comfortable playing short-pitched bowling as he geared up the play against the likes of Archer, Wood and Carse. Tactics & Match-ups: Harry Brook has fallen twice to wrong’uns in this series, struggling particularly against Varun Chakravarthy, and India will aim to capitalise on that weakness again. Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh’s short-pitched deliveries have proven effective against Phil Salt, and the left-arm seamer will be eager to test the England opener with a few more of those. Probable XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi/Mohammed Shami/Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy England The visitors announced an unchanged XI a day before the match, with Jamie Smith keeping his place in the eleven having come in for an unwell Jacob Bethell, who has now recovered and was seen training. Tactics & Match-ups: Archer has been effective early on against Samson and Suryakumar, while Wood has troubled Abhishek Sharma on multiple occasions. Brydon Carse also made a significant impact by dismantling the middle order in the previous game. England are likely to stick with their strategy of leading with a pace-heavy attack, complemented by Adil Rashid operating in the middle overs. Playing XI: Ben Duckett, Philip Salt (wk), Jos Buttler (c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood. Did you know? – Of the 12 Indian venues that have hosted at least five T20Is till date, only Wankhede (9.34) and Mohali (9.03) have had a better run-rate than Rajkot (8.91). – Harry Brook has been dismissed six times in 35 balls facing googlies from leg-spinners. – England against Indian spinners in T20Is since 2024: 6/58 in 11 overs (Providence, 2024), 5/67 in 12 overs (Kolkata, 2025), 6/118 in 14 overs (Chennai, 2025). What they said: “Every player would have different plans and they all have different areas and different ways to play. So, I have to just see that they are comfortable (with their game) and then what I can aid where they get benefitted” – Sitanshu Kotak, on his role as a batting coach. “You’ve got to believe, haven’t you? It’s no good sitting here saying ‘I think that’s it’. We’ve got three games to play and three chances of a win. There was a big gulf in the first game but it was much tighter and entertaining in the last game. If we can close the gap again, hopefully we can get the win in this one” – Mark Woodon England’s chances in the series.
