Circus is boost

EVERYONE involved with English cricket, and Ben Stokes in particular, will be relieved when this third Test against India finally starts in Nottingham today.

After a week dominated by Stokes’ acquittal for affray and subsequent return to the England squad, it has been easy to forget Joe Root’s men stand on the brink of a notable series triumph against the world’s top-ranked team.

The crushing innings victory at Lord’s last week, a result achieved without their otherwise engaged talisman, put England 2-0 up and one win away from sealing the series with two matches to spare.

Trent Bridge would be the perfect setting for such an achievement, too, given it is a venue where England have won seven of their past nine Tests.

Swing is king here and so it is no surprise James Anderson has taken 60 wickets in nine Tests in Nottingham. This is also Stuart Broad’s home ground, a venue where he took a memorable hat-trick against India in 2011 and produced that amazing spell of 8-15 to blow away Australia during the 2015 Ashes.

All in all, the signs do not look good for an India team who, captain Virat Kohli apart,

LIKELY LINE-UPS Start: 11am. TV: Sky Sports Cricket.

ENGLAND: INDIA:

Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma. Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root (captain), Ollie Pope, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Stuart Broad, James Anderson. Erasmus (SA). Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZ), Marais TV umpire: Aleem Dar (Pak).