Follow UsThe third Test between India and England at Lord’s was as tense and dramatic as Test cricket gets. Chasing a target of 193, India collapsed early, losing seven wickets for just 82 runs. Ravindra Jadeja (61* off 181) mounted a gritty resistance, with support from Jasprit Bumrah (5 off 54) and Mohammed Siraj (4 off 30), but it wasn’t enough. India fell short by 22 runs, allowing England to take a crucial 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
India now face a must-win scenario: they will need to win both of the remaining Tests to seal the series. With the fourth Test scheduled to begin on July 23 (Wednesday) at Old Trafford in Manchester, a few changes to the playing XI seem inevitable.
Karun Nair
The 33-year-old made his return to the Test setup after eight long years, but his comeback hasn’t gone to plan. With scores of 0, 20, 31, 26, 40, and 14 in the series, Nair has failed to convert his starts into anything meaningful. In the final innings at Lord’s, he was dismissed lbw after shouldering arms to an incoming delivery from Brydon Carse. With little to show despite multiple chances, Nair is likely to be dropped for the next Test.
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Since scoring a century in Melbourne, the fast-bowling all-rounder from Andhra has struggled with the bat. In the second Test, Reddy managed just two runs across two innings and bowled six overs. Despite that, he was retained for the third Test thanks to India winning the contest. At Lord’s, he picked up three wickets but failed again with the bat, scoring 30 and 13. India could consider replacing him with Kuldeep Yadav or a specialist batter.
Jasprit Bumrah
India have lost both Tests that Bumrah has played in this series. Ironically, the only game they’ve won is the one he missed - the second Test at Edgbaston, where the rest of the bowling attack stepped up and delivered a record 336-run victory. At Lord’s, Bumrah bowled 43 overs and picked up seven wickets, but India still ended up on the losing side. We have eight days to go before the next Test, but the management might consider resting him again to manage his workload. Anyway, India have shown they can win without him.