Swann’s inclusion apart, Kevin Pietersen has other things to worry about. Paul Collingwood, their middle-order mainstay, is out of form, James Anderson is yet to take a wicket, openers Ian Bell and Matt Prior are struggling to give the side good starts, while the reliable left-armer Ryan Sidebottom is still struggling with an injury.

Their hope lies in the fact that they had India on the ropes for a while in the second game, when they had dismissed Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma early in the innings. They also looked good to chase down the total when Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff were at the crease, but pressed the panic button and disintegrated.

“We were on top in the last match. We let India off the hook a couple of times. Even when Kevin and Flintoff were batting we were set to win. We have to seize the initiative,” Swann said.

No worries for India

In contrast, the home side has no major worries, except for RP Singh’s dip in form and even that seems to have been sorted out with Ishant Sharma recovering from his ankle strain.

“Ishant is 100 per cent fit and available for this match,” Dhoni said. But he dismissed any possibility of major changes in the side.

“There is no need to experiment with the combination now as this is a seven-match series and we are only 2-0 up. We will think about it when somebody needs a rest,” he added.

... contd.