Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer returned to action at Lord’s as England won the toss and opted to bat first in the third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on Thursday. With the five-match series level at 1-1—following England’s narrow five-wicket win at Headingley and India’s dominant 336-run victory at Edgbaston—this Test is crucial. It’s only the second time England has chosen to bat first under the Stokes-McCullum leadership. Archer, returning to Test cricket after four years out due to back and elbow injuries, replaces Josh Tongue.
England skipper Ben Stokes said the team is fresh and excited to play at Lord’s. India brought Bumrah back in place of Prasidh Krishna, with Kuldeep Yadav still missing out. Captain Shubman Gill admitted he was unsure about the toss and might have bowled first. Both sides feature strong line-ups with plenty to prove in this closely contested series at the historic venue.
