Team India were dealt with a body blow with Virat Kohli's absence in the whole five-match Test series. While Yashasvi Jaiswal's double century came to India's rescue in the second Test, India's middle-order has been rendered a raw deal with Kohli's withdrawal and the injury to KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja subsequently. Even though Jadeja is back, Rahul is still not match fit and Kohli will be a huge gap for India to fill in the middle order. While many reckon that Kohli's absence is a huge blow for India, according to former cricketer-turner-commentator David Lloyd, it's not.
Lloyd suggested that India have players, who have shown recently that they can step while noting Shubman Gill's comeback century in the second innings and admitting that Jaiswal will be the key man for England to get rid of to get into the inexperienced Indian middle order.
"All of India has been digesting the news that Virat Kohli will not play any part in the series but I don't think it weakens them too much even if he is one of the greatest players we've ever seen," Lloyd wrote in his column for Daily Mail. "Shubman Gill stepped up in the second Test and the Indian batters are all well capable of getting massive scores. The one England have had the most problems with so far is Yashasvi Jaiswal and their challenge therefore is to try to work out a plan to dismiss the series' leading run scorer," he added.
Lloyd reckoned that the England bowlers will have to play with Jaiswal's ego and persist with an off-spinner more than the left-arm spinner or a leg-spinner who will bring the ball into him. England have benched Shoaib Bashir for the third Test in Rajkot and if the wicket is flat, of which there are several signs and Jaiswal goes big again, Joe Root could be in for long bowling spells.
As for India, Sarfaraz Khan is likely to make his debut in Kohli's absence.
