Not Shubman Gill Or Rishabh Pant, India's 'Trump Card' For Lord's Test Identified

India registered a statement victory over England in the second Test of the five-match series at Edgbaston to draw level at 1-1, winning by 336 runs. It was new Test captain Shubman Gill's first victory as captain, and happened despite India losing the toss and being without pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. With Bumrah all but confirmed to return to India's playing XI for the third Test at Lord's, former England captain Nasser Hussain stated that India have played around his workload management well.

"You feel like India have manoeuvred it well. People were critical of them leaving Jasprit Bumrah out and how they were going to take 20 wickets without Bumrah - well they have done that on a very flat pitch at Edgbaston," Hussain said, speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast.

Hussain said that Bumrah will be India's trump card with the series poised at 1-1.

"Now they have their trump card (Bumrah) coming in on a ground (Lord's) that he has bowled well at before and a ground at which he wants to get on the Honours Board after two weeks of rest," he added.

Meanwhile, England coach Brendon McCullum sai Jofra Archer is "ready to go" as he contemplates recalling the express paceman for the third Test against India after four years of injury-induced exile.

Archer was in the squad for the second Test at Edgbaston but did not feature as India hammered England by 336 runs on Sunday to square the five-match series at 1-1.

The third match of the series starts at Lord's on Thursday.

With a tight turnaround, both sides are set to change their pace attacks, with India already confirming the return of their strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested at Edgbaston.

Barbados-born Archer burst onto the international scene in 2019 but played the last of his 13 Tests in February 2021.

This season the 30-year-old has bowled just 18 first-class overs in a lone appearance for county side Sussex.

But England are giving serious thought to recalling Archer at Lord's as they seek to pep up their attack.

"It's hugely exciting, he's buzzing as well," said McCullum.

"He's obviously been through his injuries and his time out of Test cricket, but we all know what he's capable of achieving and we hope that when the opportunity does arrive for him, he's able to recapture and improve on what he's been able to do already."

With AFP inputs

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