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Fortress Edgbaston has been breached by a young Indian team with Shubman Gill at the helm. The win, heralded by some brilliant performances, including the skipper’s double-century and hundred and a lethal charge by the pace attack that stole the spotlight, was perhaps one of the best performances in the modern era of the game. Played on a pitch that backfired terribly for the hosts, India scripted history with a team that had been written off in the absence of their premier bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. With the loss at Leeds forgiven and the win at Edgbaston fresh in their memory, the caravan has moved to the Mecca of cricket, the Lord’s Cricket Ground.
While the Playing XI for the third Test is more or less predictable, there are still variables that could lead to a horses-for-courses approach by the Indian management. With every game, India inches closer to forming their best XI, but there are still a few spots in the team that are up for grabs. One of those is the No. 3 batting position. Two batters have been tried in two games – while Sai Sudharsan was handed the all-important role in the first Test, he was dropped in the second and Karun Nair moved up from the No. 5 slot.
Another dilemma is the strange sight of watching Kuldeep Yadav, India’s best left-arm wrist spinner, warming the bench. While Washington Sundar earned his place in the XI at Edgbaston and delivered what was expected of him, the Lord’s pitch is expected to be nothing like the one dished out for the last Test. Will that prompt the Indian management to include a wicket-taker in the form of Kuldeep? Will Nitish Kumar Reddy keep his place in the team following a failure with the bat in both innings? If he is dropped, who makes it into the team?
These are questions that will eventually be answered when India step on to the field for their practice sessions ahead of the third Test. One of the key answers will be found in the slip-cordon practice. It has been quite evident from the past two Tests that anyone who makes it to the slip cordon for the practice session two days before the match starts will also end up in the playing XI. Why else would a player who is not in the scheme of things take part in the all-important slip-catching simulation? RevSportz, having taken a cue from the slip-catching session, had reported the inclusion of both Karun and Nitish in the previous two Tests.
With the high of Edgbaston still fresh and the scars of Leeds beginning to fade, the visitors carry with them a sense of belief that wasn’t quite there at the start of the series. But for all the confidence, there are still puzzles to solve. Will the management stick with the winning XI, or will conditions at Lord’s force a rethink?
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