Captain Virat Kohli has said that India will play the same XI in the third Test as the one that beat England by 151 runs at Lord’s last week. The Indian skipper said that the team does not intend to change a “winning combination” as they look to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

Speaking in a pre-match press conference, Virat Kohli said, “We don’t have any reason to change anything (in terms of team combination). Unless anyone has a niggle which hasn’t been the case over the past few days. There’s no reason to change a winning combination.”

Kohli also slammed the media when asked if this is India’s best opportunity to win a series in England considering the opposition is missing a number of key players.

Also read: High-flying India eyeing unassailable series lead and a big knock from Kohli

Pacer Jofra Archer and all-rounder Ben Stokes were ruled out before the series began. On the other side, veteran fast bowler Stuart Broad was injured after the first Test. Mark Wood also sustained an injury during the Lord’s Test.

“Does that depend on the strength of the opposition? Even when the key players are playing, we think we can beat anyone. We don’t wait for the opposition to be weak. I don’t think that’s the right question to ask to a team that has been playing such good cricket for the last so many years, that we depend on the team to be weak to have an opportunity to win a series. That’s not how we play and approach a series,” Kohli said.

Also read: India vs England, 3rd Test: When and where to watch, livestream details

“In England, you’re never set. You have to shed your ego. The conditions are such that even if you get to 30 or 40, you can’t feel you can play the way you want. You have to repeat the process. You need to have patience, mental skill and discipline. If you don’t have that, it doesn’t matter how big a player you are. The precision of decision making is important. Even if you make a small mistake, you might get out as in my opinion, the conditions are the toughest to bat,” he added.

The third of the five Tests between India and England will be played at Headingley in Leeds on August 25, 2021.