England vs India Playing 11, 3rd Test: No surprises! Bumrah replaces Prasidh in India's XI

ENG vs IND 3rd Test Playing 11: India pace lynchpin Jasprit Bumrah returns, replacing Prasidh Krishna in the playing XI.

3:16 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE SCORE UPDATES

TAP ON THE IMAGE FOR THE LATEST SCORE UPDATES AND FULL SCORECARD HERE

IND vs ENG 3rd Test Day 1

3:11 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE UPDATES: England Playing 11 - one change

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

3:11 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE UPDATES: India Playing 11 - only one change

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

3:02 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE UPDATES: England batting first

England wins the toss and elected to bat first against India. This is the third time England captain Ben Stokes won the toss. Shubman Gill has not won a single coin toss after taking the reigns of India Test cricket.

2:58 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE UPDATES: Toss just moments away

The live toss at Lords cricket ground between England's Ben Stokes and India's Shubman Gill is just moments away. Stay tuned for latest update

2:55 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE UPDATES: Lords pitch report

Lords pitch report by Deep Das Gupta:

Cast your eyes on this pitch—it carries the glint of menace. A lively layer of grass clings to the surface, with just enough moisture beneath to stir the hearts of fast bowlers. If the grass doesn’t talk, the slope certainly will. There’s movement lurking—subtle, treacherous, and waiting to strike.

 

And yet, beyond the morning’s sting lies promise. Once the sun climbs and the surface settles, this track could reward the brave with the bat. It’s a classic Lord’s paradox—danger at dawn, opportunity by afternoon.

 

Compared to the previous two Tests, this one is unmistakably more welcoming to bowlers. If England rolled the dice and bowled first on flatter tracks, they might be tempted to do it again here. And don’t count the spinners out—the cracks may widen, and the slope might just whisper in their favour too. This is not just a pitch—it’s a ticking plotline.

2:46 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE UPDATES: The extra grass shoved off

Ah, and as for the pitch—what a transformation overnight! That lush layer of grass I saw clinging to the surface just last evening? Vanished. Shaved clean. As if the ground itself is bracing for battle, stripped bare and ready to reveal its true nature.

2:33 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE UPDATES: Bumrah marking run-up

There hasn't been much visible activity from the Indian team at the moment on the ground, with only a few players in sight. While Harry Brook and Ollie Pope have gone for a net session behind the ground, Jasprit Bumrah has now emerged and is marking his run-up, which was expected. Meanwhile, Karun Nair has been quietly going through some shadow practice at both ends. 

2:29 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE UPDATES: Why England dropping Josh Tongue was unexpected?

On Wednesday, day before the start of the third Test at Lord's England announced thier playing 11 with Jofra Archer making his long awaited return in the red ball cricket. However, what surprised the fans was who he was replacing. Archer replaced Josh Tongue who is the highest wicket taker in the series with 11 wickets to his name making the call made by skipper Stokes completely unexpected. 

2:22 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE UPDATES: Highest run-scorers in the series

Rank	Player	Matches	Inns	Runs	Avg	SR	4s	6s
1	Shubman Gill	2	4	585	146.25	73.86	63	12
2	Jamie Smith	2	4	356	178	86.2	39	11
3	Rishabh Pant	2	4	342	85.5	81.82	36	13
4	Harry Brook	2	4	280	70	74.07	31	3
5	KL Rahul	2	4	236	59	54.25	36	0
6	Ben Duckett	2	4	236	59	83.1	35	1
7	Yashasvi Jaiswal	2	4	220	55	73.58	36	1
8	Ravindra Jadeja	2	4	194	97	62.58	19	3
9	Ollie Pope	2	4	138	34.5	70.41	19	0
10	Joe Root	2	4	109	36.33	53.43	11	0
11	Zak Crawley	2	4	88	22	52.07	11	0
12	Ben Stokes	2	4	86	21.5	48.59	13	0
13	Karun Nair	2	4	77	19.25	50	13	0
14	Brydon Carse	2	4	60	20	80	9	1
15	Washington Sundar	1	2	54	54	49.09	4	2

2:14 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE UPDATES: Nair to get the axe?

Karun Nair's return to the Indian cricket was one of the most celebrated moment for the fans as the batter was playing the game of his life at the domestic circuit. However his return so far has been dismissal. He has just 77 runs from four innings in the two matches with an average of just 19.25. He is now in danger of being axed from the third Test for B Sai Sudharshan. 

2:03 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE UPDATES: Will India go with 4 pacers?

The wicket at Lord's is covered with sheen of grass which means it will be assisting pacers more than spinners but India who played two spinners and three regular pacers in the last match will return to the 4 pacers or continue with same combination they had in the last game? Stay tuned to find out.  

1:49 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE UPDATES: Green tinge holds early intrigue

As for the pitch itself, it stood on the eve of battle with a live sheen of grass, whispering promise to the quicks. Early assistance is on the cards, especially under morning cloud cover, and it may just tempt both captains to take a chance with the ball if they win the toss. But then again, at Lord’s, the wisest strategy may still lie in looking up… and hoping the weather gods are smiling.

1:41 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE UPDATES: Is Bazball Breaking or Building Test Cricket’s Future?

 

A revolution or a reckless gamble? That’s the question swirling around England’s ultra-aggressive approach to Test match batting. Branded as the future by its torchbearers, it’s being called out by purists for lacking nuance—especially when the stakes are high and the pitch starts whispering doubt.

 

Ashwin Dismantles Stokes’ Technique

India’s seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin didn’t hold back. He dissected Ben Stokes’ dismissal with surgical precision, using it as an emblem of England’s flawed method.

“Go and watch that ball from Washington Sundar,” Ashwin urged. “It drifted beautifully, yes, and landed perfectly—but more importantly, watch where he released it: wide, from the edge of the crease. Now look at Stokes’ head—it’s aligned with Rishabh Pant’s, which means he’s playing the ball based on the release point, not its eventual trajectory.”

 

Ashwin wasn’t done.

“Look at his leg. Straight as an arrow. There’s no flex, no bend. That’s a shot you play when you're trying to launch one in white-ball cricket, not red-ball. In T20s, you read the line early, go for the tonk—but in Tests, that’s asking for trouble.”

1:18 PM

3rd Test | ENG vs IND Playing 11 LIVE UPDATES: Will Bazball affects India's XI choices?

England’s Chase Philosophy Endures

Yet even that transformation is unlikely to sway England from their bold and familiar script: let the opposition bat, and chase it down later. Captain Ben Stokes may downplay his side’s attachment to the chase-first ideology, but actions often speak louder than press conferences. The forecast is promising—clear skies, dry air—and that plays into England’s hands.