The spotlight will also be on Kohli, as fans will expect him to score some big runs since his last international century was way back in November 2019.
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After registering an incredible victory against England at the legendary Lords, India will be brimming with confidence ahead of the third Test. If they manage to win the game, they would take an unbeatable 2-0 lead over the hosts, which would be yet another historic feat for Virat Kohli and his men. There are several aspects in the game that the fans will be hoping to see from the Indian team. The most important one would be for their skipper to score some big runs. The last time Kohli scored an international century was in November 2019. A ton from the Indian skipper is definitely overdue. The spotlight will also be on the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara who have been recently criticised over their form. India’s bowlers, after a world-class performance at Lords, will also be looking to take their form into the Leeds game.
There is no doubt that Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batters of this generation. The Indian skipper has numbers that are rivalled by a select few and that too across all eras. However, it has been a while since fans have seen him raise his bat in celebration of an international century. Leeds seems to be the perfect stage for the Indian skipper to let loose. The team is high on confidence and it will be England shouldering much of the pressure to keep the series alive on their home turf. It has been more than a year since Kohli has hit a ton. He did get a couple of 40-plus scores in the earlier Test but with a player like Kohli, expectations are always massive. He seemed to have problems with his off-stump in the Lords Test and if he can sort that out, a Kohli masterclass could very well be on the cards.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are two players that are almost exclusive to the Indian Test team. Naturally, there will be expectations of them to perform in the format that they specialise in. Unfortunately for the two, that has not been the case so far. Neither has managed to get a triple-figure score so far or even get close to it. The two have been subject to a lot of criticism, some of which is probably unfair considering that they built an important partnership in the second Test when the top order failed to deliver. Both will be hungry to prove their doubters wrong and if they can find their rhythm in the third Test, they will surely record big scores.
The Indian bowlers delivered a performance to remember at Lords in the previous Test. The quartet of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Ishant Sharma were at their absolute best as they bowled out England for just 120 runs in the final innings of the match. They did not only impress with the ball. Shami and Bumrah constructed an incredible partnership, so much so that the English bowlers just could not send either one back to the pavilion. The bowlers will hope that their form continues into the Leeds Test and they can help the team take the series away from the hosts.
Openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma are also a couple of players that will be under the spotlight in the third Test. Both batters are having a great series in terms of individual performances. The duo will look to keep that form up and give a strong start to India when they walk out to bat. For Rahul, this series is shaping up to be the one that cements his place in the Indian Test side, and he will look to continue that form.
For England, however, things look quite bleak. They are under enormous pressure to level up the series. Even drawing the match might not be enough, but losing it is simply not an option. The three lions would not want to lose a Test series on home soil, especially with The Ashes not too far away. They have been hit with a number of injury issues and the latest to join the long list of unavailable players is fast bowler Mark Wood. Skipper Joe Root’s form has been exceptional but the same cannot be said of his players. He will have to find a way to instill the belief in his team so that they play to their fullest extent and win the third Test of the serieṣ.
