India vs England: Sunil Gavaskar predicts changes in the hosts' XI for the day-night affair

Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar feels that Kuldeep Yadav may be left of the national team for the third Test against England, starting Wednesday, February 24 at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad. Kuldeep missed the opening Test in Chennai and made his Test comeback after two years at the same venue in the second match.

However, he wasn’t amongst the wickets even as Axar Patel and Ravi Ashwin did a chunk of the work in the spin-bowling department. As per Gavaskar, India can’t afford to drop Ashwin ‘in the next five years’ bearing in mind his performance for the Indian team. He also reckons that since the next game is a pink-ball affair, Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion is a must.

He hasn’t had too many opportunities: Sunil Gavaskar

“Jasprit Bumrah will be there. It’s a pink ball Test so maybe one of the spinners will find themselves out of the team. Most likely it will be Kuldeep because he hasn’t had too many opportunities, and Axar and R Ashwin. Ashwin you can’t drop for the next five years,” Gavaskar told on Star Sports.

For the Day-Night Test, Gavaskar called for a three-pace attack, including Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Ishant Sharma. The veteran also had apprehensions about picking Hardik Pandya for the fact that there are doubts over his bowling.

‘I’m not sure if Hardik Pandya is fit enough to bowl because if he is, he can also slot in and India might actually go with a combination depending on the surface. I don’t know what the surface at the new Motera will be like, but my feeling is that they will definitely go with three seam bowlers and two seamers,” he stated.

“You’ll probably have a new-ball attack in Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, and Mohammed Siraj as your three new-ball bowlers, and Kuldeep… he may find himself out of the team because it’s a pink ball Test,” Gavaskar added.

India lost the opening Test at the Chepauk by a massive margin, but then came back to draw level in the series. The last two Tests in Ahmedabad decide who among India, England and Australia make the cut for the final of the World Test Championship to be played against New Zealand.

Sunil Gavaskar’s XI: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Ravi Ashwin, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj