Sundar or Reddy: Whom will Bumrah replace in India XI for 3rd Test vs ENG?

Jasprit Bumrah's return to the India playing 11 in the 3rd Test against England at Lord's will shuffle the pack again with Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar likely to lose their place for the clash.

As India gear up for the third Test of the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground from July 10 to 14, all eyes are on the team selection, particularly on the all-rounder slot. With the series tied 1-1 after India’s emphatic 336-run win at Edgbaston, the visitors are likely to make one tactical change in their playing XI. The big question is: Will Washington Sundar or Nitish Kumar Reddy make way for Shardul Thakur?

 

India bounced back strongly in the second Test, levelling the series after England had drawn first blood in Leeds with a 5-wicket victory. Now, heading into the third Test at Lord’s, often referred to as the Mecca of Cricket, team balance and pitch conditions will play a crucial role in shaping the final XI. 

 

Lord’s pitch may prompt a pace-bowling All-rounder inclusion

 

Recent behaviour of the Lord’s pitch gives India some food for thought. While traditionally known to assist fast bowlers, especially early on, the pitch tends to flatten out and become more favourable for batting as the match progresses. 

 

In fact, in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final last month, South Africa chased down 282 against Australia in three sessions on the final day, highlighting how conditions ease up for batters later.

 

This observation can lead to the Indian think tank considering replacing off-spinning all-rounder Washington Sundar with seam-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur in the next tie. Sundar contributed with both bat and ball in the previous Test, scoring 42 runs and taking the important wicket of Ben Stokes, but may lose his spot purely due to the dynamics of the pitch.

 

Nitish Kumar Reddy's place also under scrutiny? 

Another player who may find himself on the bench is youngster Nitish Kumar Reddy. While the Andhra Pradesh all-rounder offers energy and versatility, he hasn’t had many impactful moments with either bat or ball in the series so far, scoring just 1 run in 2 innings and bowling just 6 overs in the entirety of the Test. If India decide to go with Shardul to lengthen the pace attack without sacrificing batting depth, Nitish could be the one to miss out, depending on the team composition strategy.

 

Stable top order providing flexibility 

India’s top order has been in stellar form. Shubman Gill leads the run tally with 585 runs, including three centuries. Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Yashasvi Jaiswal have also been consistent, with each of them scoring over 200 runs in just two matches. With the top and middle order performing well, India can afford to tweak their all-rounder combination to suit conditions.  England too had a decent run with the bat as both sides came together to produce the highest match aggregate in a Test match at Edgbaston, an impressive 1692 runs scored in the 2nd Test featuring 4 centurions in the match as well. 

Highest match aggregates in Test cricket
Team 1	Team 2	Team runs	Team wickets	Overs	RR	Ground	Match Date
South Africa	England	1981	35	680.7x8	2.18	Durban	03/03/39
West Indies	England	1815	34	613.5	2.95	Kingston	03/04/30
Pakistan	England	1768	37	388.5	4.54	Rawalpindi	01/12/22
Australia	West Indies	1764	39	413.2x8	3.2	Adelaide	24/01/69
Australia	England	1753	40	532.2	3.29	Adelaide	14/01/21
Australia	India	1747	25	442.4	3.94	Sydney	02/01/04
England	Australia	1723	31	549.4	3.13	Leeds	22/07/48
Pakistan	India	1702	28	426.4	3.98	Faisalabad	21/01/06
England	India	1692	36	391.4	4.32	Birmingham	02/07/25
England	New Zealand	1675	35	408.3	4.1	Nottingham	10/06/22

 

  Highest match aggregate in Tests at Lord's  As far as the Mecca of cricket, Lord's is concerned, the venue has witnessed some brilliant games and has a similar kind of record when match aggregates in Test cricket is talked about. 

Highest match aggregates in Tests at Lord’s
Team 1	Team 2	Team runs	Team wickets	Overs	RR	Ground	Match Date
England	New Zealand	1610	40	428.4	3.75	Lord's	21/05/15
England	India	1603	28	392.3	4.08	Lord's	26/07/90
England	Australia	1601	29	505.4	3.16	Lord's	27/06/30
England	West Indies	1576	35	394.3	3.99	Lord's	22/07/04
England	Sri Lanka	1496	36	428.1	3.49	Lord's	12/06/14
England	Pakistan	1483	31	435.5	3.4	Lord's	13/07/06
England	New Zealand	1445	33	435.2	3.31	Lord's	20/05/04
England	Sri Lanka	1427	30	365.4	3.9	Lord's	03/06/11
England	India	1406	36	398.3	3.52	Lord's	25/07/02
England	Sri Lanka	1401	24	446.1	3.14	Lord's	16/05/02
England	Australia	1368	37	526.2	2.59	Lord's	25/06/53
England	West Indies	1363	23	347	3.92	Lord's	17/05/07
England	Australia	1362	34	379.3	3.58	Lord's	24/06/38
England	Australia	1357	36	343	3.95	Lord's	16/07/09
England	Australia	1348	30	422	3.19	Lord's	31/07/75
England	Australia	1347	40	360.2	3.73	Lord's	28/06/23
England	Bangladesh	1332	32	363.3	3.66	Lord's	27/05/10
England	West Indies	1314	36	522.3	2.51	Lord's	26/06/69
England	New Zealand	1293	34	421.1	3.07	Lord's	27/06/31

  Likely changes in bowling line-up

 

Captain Gill has confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah will return for the Lord’s Test, likely replacing Prasidh Krishna, who had an underwhelming outing at Edgbaston with figures of 1 for 111. Bumrah will join Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep in the pace unit, with Shardul possibly becoming the fifth seamer if selected.

 

Probable playing 11 for India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy/Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.