The XI India Needs for Victory in the Third Test

Cricket is all about comebacks, as Shubman Gill and company showcased a thrilling match against England at Edgbaston. They not only secured a win to level the series, but they were also able to secure the first Test win in Edgbaston, marking history.

For the second Test, it should be noted that the Indian team made some strategic changes, as Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav were not selected in the playing XI. Despite the team missing out on its key bowlers, they were able to secure a win, thanks to Akashdeep and Siraj, who played a crucial role with the ball.

With the series now levelled at 1-1, the team heads to the iconic Lord’s, where they will aim for yet another win. Last time India and England faced each other at Lord’s Stadium, the team secured a win by restricting England to just 120 while they were chasing the target.

Surely India now holds some positive records at Lord’s, which might help to boost the team’s confidence in the third match, starting from 10 July at 3:30 PM IST. For that, let’s take a look at the best playing XI, which could help India to defeat England in the third Test and take a 1-1 win.

Top Order

The top order line-up of India performed well in the previous match, as if one batsman failed to perform, the other two took up the work.

Yashasvi Jaiswal

Jaiswal has dominated in both matches with the bat, as he gave a good start to the team even in the second match. England has been the only team against whom he has played extraordinarily well, which makes him irreplaceable at the opening slot.

In the current series, he has scored 220 runs in 4 innings at an average of 55, and a strike rate of 73.57. Even in the previous match, he was able to score a half-century in the first innings, which was followed by a mediocre score in the second.

KL Rahul

KL Rahul is the perfect partner for Yashasvi Jaiswal to open the team’s innings. While Jaiswal aims for a rapid-fire start, Rahul plays strategically, which often helps both of them to cross a half-century for the opening partnership. Although his performance was not good in the first innings, he regained his form.

Rahul went on to score a half-century in the second innings of the game, and his stroke selection also shows why he is called KLassy Rahul. In both matches, he has scored 236 runs at an average of 59, with one century and one half-century.

Karun Nair

Karun Nair, who was promoted to number 3 in the previous match, looked a bit comfortable while batting at this spot. He was able to play some classic shots for boundaries, and also showed respect for the good deliveries. Although he failed to deliver big this time also, we might see a good knock in the next innings.

In two matches, Karun Nair has scored 77 runs at an average of 19.25, as he is yet to score a half-century. With three matches remaining in the series and considering the Lord’s pitch conditions, Nair would be eager to take advantage and show his class to the English bowlers.

Middle Order

India’s middle order has been at its peak form in the current series against England, which means that no changes are required in the same.

Shubman Gill

India’s new Test skipper, Shubman Gill, who replaced Virat Kohli after his retirement, has showcased his dominance against England. Even in the second Test match, he was able to break records, scoring 430 runs alone in the match.

Along with that, he also tops the run-scoring charts of the series, scoring 585 runs in 2 matches at an average of 146.25, with three half-centuries. Out of these three centuries, one of them was a double century in the previous match, where he ended up scoring 269 runs in the first innings, followed by 161 in the second innings.

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant at number five remains the best choice for the Indian team, as it adds the element of entertainment and a run machine in the game. Pant’s performances in the current series against England have been legendary, as he now aims to score even more when the two teams meet at Lord’s.

In two matches, Rishabh Pant has scored 342 runs at an average of 85.50 and a strike rate of 81.81. He has also scored two centuries and one half-century, showcasing his consistency to perform well and convert his starts to big scores against England.

Nitish Kumar Reddy

Nitish Kumar Reddy could come as a great option for the team when it comes to a page bowling all-rounder, coming down to bat at number 6. Although he failed to perform well in the previous match, the young talent can’t wait to show some great performances at Lord’s.

Surely the pitch at Lord’s will be challenging for a player like Nitish Kumar Reddy, who doesn’t have much experience in England, but he seems ready to take up all the challenges, as was also seen in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He also adds in the form of an extra pace bowling option for the team.

Ravindra Jadeja

After not being able to showcase his best performance in the first Test, Jadeja regained his form in the previous match to tell everyone why experience matters the most. In the second match, he dominated with both bat and ball and helped India create some pressure on England.

Ravindra Jadeja has scored 194 runs in 2 matches at an average of 97, remaining not out two times in the four innings he has played. Even in the previous match, he ended up scoring 89, missing out on a well-deserved century. With the ball, he has secured 2 wickets at an average of 141 and an economy of 3.56.

Lower-Order

The team’s lower-order will be the only place where one change would be required, as Jasprit Bumrah is now confirmed to be playing in the Lord’s Test.

Washington Sundar

Replacing Shardul Thakur in the second Test, Washington Sundar has marked his place even for the next match at Lord’s. He was able to contribute well to the team, even though he came at the lower-order to bat, while also being able to create some wicket-taking opportunities.

In the previous match, Washington Sundar ended up scoring 54 runs in both innings combined, where his highest score being 42 runs in the first innings. His approach was risk-free, as he aimed to create pressure on the English bowlers. Along with that, Sundar also took up a wicket in the match and held an economy rate of 5.05.

Akash Deep

Akash Deep replaced Jasprit Bumrah in the second Test, and he didn’t let the team feel his absence. Playing his first Test in England and also at a batter-friendly ground, he ended up taking the crucial wickets in both innings, creating pressure on the English batsmen.

In the first innings, he took 4 wickets, which was followed by a 6-wicket haul in the second innings. Holding an average of just 18.70 runs per wicket, he comes in as the best choice for the team as a bowler. Akash Deep also holds the capability to score runs, which was seen in India’s Home Tests.

Jasprit Bumrah

Confirmed to mark his comeback in the Lord’s Test, Jasprit Bumrah is all set to dominate the English batsmen once again with his bowling skills. Along with that, the pitch conditions at Lord’s seem to be bowler-friendly, which could help Bumrah to rattle the stumps with ease and showcase a thriller.

He shall replace Prasidh Krishna in the third Test, as Prasidh has not been able to perform up to the mark in this series. Krishna holds 6 wickets in 2 matches at an average of 55.16 and economy of 5.33, while on the other hand, Bumrah took 5 wickets in one match at an average of 28 and an economy of just 3.20 runs per over.

Mohammed Siraj

At number eleven will be the workhorse of India’s bowling line-up, Mohammed Siraj, who led the bowling department from the front in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. He has been known for crucial performances in the SENA Tests, and was also a part of the team that won the previous Test match at Lord’s.

Although the first match didn’t go well for Siraj, he took charge in the second match and ended up taking 6 wickets in the first innings. As of now, Siraj holds 9 wickets in 2 matches at an average of 33.33 and an economy of 4.13 runs per over. Adding his strength and experience to the bowling line-up, he will be eager for another five-wicket haul in this series, as he plays the third Test.

With just one change, Team India could be able to tackle England’s challenge at Lord’s and take up the lead of 2-1 in the series. Do you think that the Indian team could make any more possible changes in the next game against England?