IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Lord’s pitch under spotlight as India eye momentum shift

London: The Lord’s pitch retained its lush green look here on Wednesday, the eve of the third Test. The 22-yard strip prepared for the match has dominated most discussions in the build-up to this game.

But unlike on the eve of the last Test at Edgbaston, the Indian team management didn’t spend much time studying it. The Test series has seen two heady Test matches played on rather benign pitches in Leeds and Birmingham. In comparison, the Lord’s pitch appears to be lively. It could add another dimension to the already-enthralling series tied at 1-1.

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The body language in the Indian camp has been discernibly relaxed. Captain Shubman Gill didn’t engage in long discussions with head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar.

He just went through some light batting drills on the artificial turf and regular pitches in the practice arena. It was vice-captain Rishabh Pant who strode out to the main square, hung around for a while and checked the hardness of the pitch before heading to the nets. As Gill got busy with his own drills, Pant spent a lot of time chatting with Gambhir and Agarkar. Wednesday was the first time on this tour that Pant and Gill were out in the middle at Lord’s, and they looked unperturbed by whatever is on offer.

It’s been just three days since India completed the gruelling win at Edgbaston which has left the players still replenishing their reserves. The victory, however, has rocked the England team which has taken pride in coming out on top in high-scoring Test matches over the last three years. The Englishmen have been forced to deviate from their mantra to a certain extent. The historically bowler-friendly nature of the Lord’s strip means both teams go into the match expecting greater help for the bowlers compared to the first two Tests. India, for a change, will feel they are the team on the ascendancy. “When you have momentum on your side, you want that short turnaround. It’s good for us to have a momentum. Still, you know, eventually you have to play good cricket,” Pant said in the pre-match media interaction. “As a team, we usually plan for whatever condition is given to us. We don’t want to think about what the opposition is thinking or whether they are changing their plans,” Pant added.

His characteristic positive and keep-it-light demeanour reflected the team’s confidence in the build-up to the Test which could dictate the course of the five-Test series.

England captain Ben Stokes, while sounding content with the prospect of playing on a spicier pitch, was reserved in his response to queries. “At Lord’s, it generally plays out the same way whenever you play. There always seems to be a little bit in it on days one and two.

Then, if anything, it probably speeds up as the game goes longer. I watched a bit of the World Test Championship final and it was the same,” Stokes said. It was obvious Stokes didn’t want to pin all his hopes on how the pitch behaves over the next few days. That said, he has confidently announced his XI for the match that will see only one change with Jofra Archer making a Test comeback in place of Josh Tongue. India, meanwhile, are keeping their cards close to the chest even though Jasprit Bumrah’s place in the XI is a given. The two-spinner combination worked perfectly for India at Edgbaston. Even though their ploy to have a decent batter at No. 8 in Washington Sundar worked, Pant said they are yet to take a call on the bowling combination.

Nitish Kumar Reddy’s poor outing in the last match could be up for discussion. In what has become a norm in the series, Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair batted together in the nets, which resembled a trial. It will be a surprise if the team management gives up on Nair this early. “In England, the pitches turn brown in a couple of days. We are still discussing if we want to go with an extra seamer or two spinners. We will take a call according to the pitch,” Pant said. Thursday morning will come up the answers.