India vs England 3rd T20 Predictions and Match Preview

Sometimes, revenge is best served piping hot - especially when it has the power to alter the course of a war despite a lost earlier battle. India bounced back like a Brett Lee headhunter against England in the second match, clinching a comfortable victory and levelling the series 1-1. Now they’ll have the flow and morale on their side, and with England still reeling, now have a great chance of taking the lead. The visitors will not let that happen easily, though, as they will learn from their mistakes and try to one-up the hosts. There’s plenty of intense cricketing action virtually guaranteed for the third T20, and before it begins, let’s take a look at the two sides.

India

Predicted XI for 3rd T20 against England

Virat Kohli (c), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wk), Rohit Sharma, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur, Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Preview and form

It’s always a good feeling to be led from the front by your captain, and it’s even better when said captain had been struggling for a while. Bowling first, India never quite let England go running away with the runs. All the bowlers kept their economy rates relatively reasonable, and Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur took 2 each to stop the English at 164. In reply, India had a disastrous first over, but a strong stand between Ishan Kishan (56 off 32) and Virat Kohli (73 off 49) along with a fiery cameo from Rishabh Pant ensured victory for the hosts with 7 wickets and 13 deliveries to spare.

Key players for 3rd T20 against England

Virat Kohli: After a performance like that, the captain will be fired up for more.

Rishabh Pant: He may not have gotten much time in the previous T20, but he might get more of a chance in this one. 

Washington Sundar: In solid form and ready to take out more Englishmen.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Consistent and effective, Bhuvneshwar’s experience will be important for India.

England

Predicted XI for 3rd T20 against India

Eoin Morgan (c), Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes.

Preview and form

After a poor performance with the ball, England might start rueing not having kept Dom Bess or Jack Leach in the side for the T20s, especially since their all-round options were butchered. Jason Roy was off to a good start with 46 off 35, but other than 20-something knocks from 4 others - with the highest being Eoin Morgan’s 28 - there were just no big plays in England’s innings, and they had to be content with a fighting but unnerving 164. The defense of this target wasn’t anywhere near up to the mark either, as previously mentioned. Only Sam Curran and Jofra Archer stood out among the bowlers, with the former’s one wicket the only scalp between them. The others were smashed around the park to good effect, and England ended up losing with plenty of time left.

Key players for 3rd T20 against India

Jason Roy: In top form, Roy will be the batsman India will be watching out for. 

Dawid Malan: A little too defensive in the previous match, Malan needs to increase his intent.

Jofra Archer: Unlucky not to have struck in the last match, Archer will be looking to change that.

Sam Curran: Solid with the ball, Sam Curran needs to be moved up the order to also be allowed to show his skills with the bat.

India vs England 3rd ODI pitch report and weather conditions

Given the extent to which spinners have kept things tight so far, England’s lack of them is certainly going to be an important factor. That being said, the pitch is not without support for batsmen, so expect scores of at least 160+ to be competitive.

It will be dry as a desert and no less hot when these teams square off tomorrow. Sure, the temperature will be on the decline, but it will definitely still be uncomfortable for the English. Thankfully, all other factors are good for cricket.

Can India snatch the lead from right under England’s nose? Or will the visitors remind the home team who the number one T20 side is? Find out if our India versus England predictions come true on Tuesday!