Ind vs Eng 2021: India is favourites here, predicts Sourav Ganguly

The Board of Control for Cricket in India president Sourav Ganguly has predicted that the Indian team will be favourites to win the third Test match against England, which will be a pink-ball affair. The hosts had won the second Test match by a massive margin of 317 runs and had bounced back in style.

The Virat Kohli-led team was under the pump after losing the first Test match by 227 runs but they were able to come back into the series. India needs to win the ongoing four-match Test series by either 2-1 or 3-1 to qualify for the finals of the World Test Championship.

Meanwhile, the Indian team had made the most of their own conditions in the second Test match and they will look to carry the same form in the third Test. India is always a force to reckon with in their own conditions and they will look to continue the same impetus.

“Indian cricket has changed a lot and our cricketers have done so well. I am sure if we play well, we are going to win it. I generally don’t predict but I feel India is favourite here,” Ganguly told ANI.

On the other hand, former Indian skipper believes that the Day-Night Tests are the future of Test cricket. The third Test match will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, which is the largest cricket stadium in the world. The stadium has the capacity to host 1,10,000 fans but due to Covid-19, only half of the tickets were sold.

“Pink-ball Test is the future of Test cricket. I remember when we hosted the pink-ball Test vs Bangladesh in Kolkata, it was a jam-packed stadium and the crowd also loved it. Cricketers also enjoy it, so I feel the pink-ball test has a long way to go,” the BCCI president stated. 

The Indian team is always difficult to beat in their own conditions and the Virat Kohli-led team is high on confidence after the second Test match win. India has made two changes to their playing XI as Washington Sundar has come in place of Kuldeep Yadav whereas Jasprit Bumrah has replaced Mohammed Siraj.

England captain Joe Root has won the toss and he has elected to bat first in Ahmedabad.