India won the second Test at Lord's against England in the ongoing Pataudi to lead the five-Test series 1-0. While it did so without Ravichandran Ashwin, was the veteran all-rounder in contention to play it?
Team India possesses a slender 1-0 lead in the five-Test series against England for the Pataudi Trophy. After the opening Test in Nottingham was washed out, robbing India of a chance to win it, the side produced an extraordinary gameplay display to win the following Test at Lord's.
Meanwhile, what was notable was that it managed to win at Lord's without its veteran all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who is famous for making a severe impact with his off-spins, regardless of where the game is played. However, what was the reason he was dropped or was he really in contention to play at Lord's?
Speaking on his YouTube show, Kutti Story, Ashwin revealed that before the Lord's Test, he was told that there's a heatwave, and he was asked to be prepared as there was a chance he could play. However, on Day 1, during the breakfast, rains lashed out London. Consequently, he told the management that he should have been said about the heatwave upon its arrival and not give him false hope that ends in disappointment.
Meanwhile, the third Test is scheduled to be played at Headingley in Leeds from Wednesday. England has announced a 15-member squad for the Test that would witness the return of top-order batsman Dawid Malan, alongside seamer Saqib Mahmood. While Dominic Sibley has been dropped, pacer Mark Wood seems doubtful owing to a shoulder injury.
England squad for the third Test against India: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood
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