3rd Test: England Win Toss and Elect to Bat First Against India at Lord’s
The third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy kicked off at Lord’s on Thursday with England winning the toss and choosing to bat first against India.
London: The third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy kicked off at Lord’s on Thursday with England winning the toss and choosing to bat first against India. The five-match series is currently level at 1-1, setting the stage for a high-stakes encounter.
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Bumrah Returns, Replaces Prasidh in India’s XI
India has made a significant change, bringing in Jasprit Bumrah in place of Prasidh Krishna. Bumrah’s inclusion strengthens India’s pace attack, while Kuldeep Yadav continues to miss out. Skipper Shubman Gill admitted he was uncertain about the toss and might have opted to bowl first.
“If there’s anything in the wicket, it’s going to be on the first few days,” said Gill.
“The bowlers are feeling confident… It wasn’t easy to take all those wickets on that Edgbaston pitch. It’s very satisfying when hard work pays off.”
Jofra Archer Makes Long-Awaited Test Comeback
England fans have reason to celebrate as Jofra Archer makes his return to Test cricket after a four-year injury layoff. Archer’s inclusion adds venom to England’s pace arsenal.
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Captain Ben Stokes said,
“The surface is how it usually is, and the sun is out, so we’re going to have a bat. The mood is good. We’re pushing to come away from Lord’s 2-1.”
He also highlighted the importance of recovery between matches and the excitement of playing at the iconic venue.
Series Level 1-1 After Two Thrilling Encounters
The series has produced riveting cricket so far. After England’s five-wicket win at Headingley, India bounced back with a dominant 336-run victory at Edgbaston, setting up a thrilling third match at Lord’s.
Playing XIs for the 3rd Test
England XI:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir
India XI:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj
