ENG vs IND: Brydon Carse misses out on his potential Test debut after positive COVID-19 result

Durham pacer Brydon Carse, who recently tested COVID-19 positive while playing in The Hundred, missed out on a potential Test debut against India in the ongoing third Test match in Leeds. Carse came into Test reckoning after Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood, and Jofra Archer were ruled out of the Test series. Carse would have been included as a standby for the same, as per Daily Mail.

He impressed one and all during the limited-overs series against Pakistan, where he bowled with good pace and control. The 26-year-old took six wickets in that series and subsequently played for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, where he had contracted the virus towards the fag end of the tournament. He originally hails from South Africa but left his country of birth to play for England.

He had applied passport for the same and was qualified to play for England in 2019. There are still two Tests remaining in the England and India series and it remains to be seen if Carse returns fit to be considered for selection.

India fightback on Day 3 of the Headingley Test

There was finally something right going for India as they managed to stay alive in the third Test in Leeds. The visitors wrapped up the two wickets and got to bat in the first hour on day three. Openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul batted sensibly and ensured there was no loss of wickets for the first five overs. Just as the duo was settling, the latter got out for 8 owing to brilliance in the field by Jonny Bairstow.

Out of form batter, Cheteshwar Pujara surprisingly got off the blokes quickly and managed to score some quick runs. He along with Rohit stayed vigilant at the crease and added an 82-run stand for the second wicket before the opener departed for a well-made 59. Pujara though continued to stay well in control and as the innings progressed, he gained confidence. He had skipper Virat Kohli for the company and, India finished at a formidable 215 for two at stumps on Day 3.

Although the visitors’ trail by 139, this fightback from the top three batters should inspire others to chip in with useful contributions with the bat on the final two days of the game.