India vs England, 3rd Test: Four Delhi players in India’s playing XI for the first time since 2012

With India handing debut to Delhi wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant in the third Test against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on Saturday and Shikhar Dhawan being recalled, the representation of Delhi players in the third Test went up to four.

Alongside skipper Virat Kohli and now a Test regular, Ishant Sharma, Pant and Dhawan make it four players from India’s capital in a single Test.

Add Cricket Country as a Preferred Source

The last time such an instance happened was in 2012 against England at Nagpur when openers Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Kohli and Ishant played together in the 4th Test. While the match was drawn, Kohli made 103 while Ishant picked three wickets. Incidentally, the quartet played together between  November 2011 and December 2012.

4 Delhi players – Dhawan, Kohli, Pant, Ishant – this Test are the joint-most in an Indian XI.

Last were Gambhir, Sehwag, Kohli, Ishant v Eng, Nagpur, Dec 2012. They played 7 Tests together between Nov 2011 and Dec 2012. #EngvInd

— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) August 18, 2018

Earlier in the day, Pant became the 291st Test player for India  as he received his Test cap before the start of the 3rd Test. Pant, 20, was handed his Test cap by Indian captain Virat Kohli. The aggressive left-hander’s name was doing the rounds to replace Dinesh Karthik, who had failed to make any substantial contributions in the first two Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s.

At lunch India had made 82 for the loss of three wickets.