London: Star pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer returned to the playing XI as England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first in the third Test against India at Lord’s on Thursday.
While India brought back Bumrah in place of Prasidh Krishna, England handed a comeback to Archer, replacing Josh Tongue in the lineup.
The pace-friendly Lord’s surface, with its grass visibly trimmed from the previous day, promises early movement for seamers - something both teams hope to exploit with their premier fast bowlers back in action.
“We are going to have a bat. Generally, this surface has some help for the bowlers in the first hour. The team is fresh, and everyone enjoys the Lord’s occasion,” Stokes said after the toss.
India’s captain Shubman Gill said he too would have chosen to bowl first. “There’s something in it for the bowlers. Bumrah comes in for Prasidh,” Gill noted.
The day began under clear London skies with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar ringing the ceremonial bell to signal the start of play.
Teams:
India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir
