IND V ENG 3rd Test: Buttler to play as batsman, Woakes to replace injured Broad

IND V ENG 3rd Test: Buttler to play as batsman, Woakes to replace injured Broad

Mohali: In a five-match series the third match becomes pivotal, just like Day 3 confirms the flow of a Test match. As both Indian and England prepare for their next assignment here at Mohali, the teams will have different focus points. One team would look to take and unassailable lead and the other will look to bounce back and make it all even.

On the eve of the Test match England captain Alastair Cook has made it clear that England will field at least a couple of changes. Wicket-keeper Buttler will take the place of out of sorts Ben Ducket, as a specialist batsman and Chris Woakes will replace the injured Stuart Braod.

 Jos Buttler, who had some good matches for Mumbai Indians and has been a fantastic limited overs player for England, has been inducted into the playing XI in place of an out-of-form Ben Duckett.

"Jos is an extremely talented cricketer and we've all seen that in the One-day and Twenty20 format. He's right up there with the best short-form players in the world and he has earned an opportunity to come and play here. It's clearly not ideal because of circumstances and he has not played a lot of red-ball cricket but sometimes when the pressure's off and you just go out and play you can do something special. Jos will bat at No 7 with Mo (Moeen) at four and Jonny (Bairstow) at No 5," Cook revealed the batting order.

Stuart Broad's absence will certainly hurt their chances feels Cook.

 "Stuart's definitely out. It is a shame after the way he bowled in that last innings and you wouldn't know that his foot was as bad as it was but the specialist's advice is that there is a risk of it going totally and he would be out for a period of time. They were quite surprised how well he got through those four and a half days after doing it in the third or fourth over.

"Knowing that (Broad’s injury) , if he played here and did a lot more damage to the tendon in the second over then you'd look stupid."