On the eve of the third Test in the five-match Anderson – Tendulkar Trophy series, England captain Ben Stokes promised an aggressive response to India’s charge.
This was always going to be a series where moments ebb and flow, where results ebb and flow because there are two very good teams going at each other.
"We came out on top at Headingley, and they came out on top in the last game. When you have two good sides going at it, you are going to see that. I don’t think we feel like we have the edge over anyone. We respect our opposition, whoever that may be. We’ll be coming out this week trying to hit them hard and obviously trying to come away with a win," Stokes added.
England had stunned India with the second-highest run chase in Test history on English soil, hunting down 371 with five wickets to spare in the first Test. But India struck back emphatically, securing their maiden Test victory at Edgbaston with a 336-run hammering driven by Shubman Gill’s prolific batting and Akash Deep’s ten-wicket haul.
As the teams regroup for the Lord’s Test starting Friday, India vice-captain Rishabh Pant said they are braced for England’s backlash but confident about maintaining momentum.
Definitely it’s a short turnaround, but like you said, when you have momentum on your side, you want that short turnaround. We are not thinking about it too much. It’s good for us to have the momentum, but eventually, you’ve got to play good cricket. This team will play better and will win eventually.
India’s selection debate continues, particularly around Jasprit Bumrah’s possible return after missing the second Test.
I think the option (Bumrah playing) is still open. Discussions are still going on. Whether it’s 3-1 (three pacers and one spinner) or 3-2, we’ll know by tomorrow. Sometimes in two days, the wicket changes colour, the moisture becomes less. We’ll take a final call based on how we think the pitch will play.
While India mull their bowling combination and whether to leave out all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, England have acted decisively by recalling Jofra Archer. Archer replaces Josh Tongue after recovering from a lengthy injury layoff and could be pivotal if he recaptures his best form.
England’s batting, meanwhile, remains under scrutiny. Joe Root has yet to replicate the consistency of previous years, and Ben Stokes has produced starts without converting them into big scores. The hosts will hope for stronger contributions from Ollie Pope, Harry Brook, and Jamie Smith, while Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett will be tasked with laying a solid platform.
If both sides fire, Lord’s is set for a gripping contest where composure will decide the outcome.
Probable Playing XIs : England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (capt), Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj.
