International Cricket : England vs India 2/24/2021 Cricket Prediction

England faces India in the third match of their four test series. The match will be played on Wednesday February 24th, 2021 at 5:00am EST. It will be held at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad, India and will be the first day/night match in the series. It is currently deadlocked at 1 win each so this is a crucial match for both sides, as the winner of the match will guarantee that they cannot lose the series. A lot is at stake for both team as the winner can book a place in the World Test Final, who has what it takes to get the win?

After losing the second test by a huge 317 run margin, England will know that they have to be much better here and will likely make some changes. They will be welcoming back stalwarts James Anderson and Johnny Bairstow after they missed the second test and should slot seamlessly back into the lineup. The pink ball that is used in day/night matches is known to swing more, so Jofra Archer and Anderson will have a big part to play if England are to be competitive here. Bairstow should replace Rory Burns who has been extremely disappointing throughout the series and that should shore up the top order. As always, the visitors will look to Ben Stokes and Joe Root to lead from the front with the bat and if they are clicking then England will be in with a fighting chance. 

India enters this match full of confidence after destroying their opponents in the Second Test and will aim to wrap the series up here. Like England, they have a pair of world class swing bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma that will be crucial with the pink swinging ball. Overall, they have a more well-rounded team than England does, and enter this match as the favorites. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will set the tone with the bat and Ravichandran Ashwin can also be a match winner with both bat and ball. 

This should be a very exciting encounter with both teams likely going for the win. Attacking cricket should be played throughout and both teams have loads of potential matchwinners in their ranks. However India are riding high after the last test and should win a close match here.