'You will see some reverse swing' - Zaheer Khan shares his thoughts on Rajkot surface

Ahead of the third India vs England Test scheduled to begin on Thursday, February 15 at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot, the picture of the pitch has gone viral all over social media. Former England captain Michael Atherton expressed his thoughts about the surface and stated that England did the right thing picking an extra seamer in their playing XI.

Former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan also shared his opinion about the pitch and hoped that it would be on similar lines as the first two Tests. He further added that the surface will support reverse swing and spin will dominate on the fourth and fifth days.

Also Read: Kuldeep Yadav 'not sure' about his Rajkot Test inclusion

"I hope the pitch is on similar lines to the one in Hyderabad and Vizag. 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,” said Zaheer on JioCinema.

Further speaking ahead, Zaheer also talked about the selection headache for team India heading into the third Test. Notably, with the return of Ravindra Jadeja, the team management will have to drop either of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav to make way for the star all-rounder.

“That's another headache once you have picked the squad! Whether it's going to be Axar (Patel), whether it's going to be Kuldeep (Yadav) or you are going to pick all of them,” he added.

England bring in Mark Wood for third Test

Kuldeep picked four wickets in the second Test while Axar Patel picked two wickets in the game and scored 72 runs across two innings. With the Indian batting lineup lacking experience, the balance might be tilted in the favour of Axar Patel.

Also Read: IND vs ENG: Ben Stokes thanks BCCI for resolving Rehan Ahmed's visa issue quickly

Meanwhile, England have already announced their playing XI ahead of the third Test and made one change by bringing in fast bowler Mark Wood in place of Shoaib Bashir. The five-match series is tied 1-1 and given the history of Rajkot big scores are expected to be scored over the course of five days.