As the Test series between India and England moves on to the Home of Cricket at Lord's for the third Test match, all eyes will be on the pitch on offer.
After the loss at Edgbaston, Ben Stokes, the English skipper didn't appear to be impressed by the pitch that was offered, calling it a "subcontinent pitch" in his post-match interview.
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Like Stokes, England head coach Brendon McCullum joined the critics urging the curators to dish out "more bounce and pace" at the Lord's pitch, “Something with a bit more pace, a bit more bounce, and maybe a little bit of sideways, hopefully,” McCullum was quoted saying by The Telegraph.
What can Indian bowlers expect at the Lord's pitch?
With the series levelled 1-1 and England desperate to bounce back, the Lord's could offer a pitch more suitable for the pace bowlers.
The home side has added Gus Atkinson to their squad and Jofra Archer's comeback has been in the discussion for weeks. The Lord's could be the ideal venue for the dangerous quick to make his return to Test cricket after four years.
Here is the first look of the Lord's pitch ahead of the third Test match between India and England:
First look of the Lord's pitch for the third Test between India and England. India head coach Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak take a closer view.
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) July 8, 2025
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Indian bowlers, led by Akashdeep and Mohammad Siraj, took 20 wickets in the third Test. With Jasprit Bumrah returning for the next game, India's pace-bowling unit looks equally strong, if not stronger.
READ MORE: What will England's bowling line-up be like for Lord's Test vs India?
India vs England Probable playing XI for third Test
India's likely XI for the Lord's Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (Wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah
England's likely XI for the Lord's Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse
MORE: India's last Test series in England: What happened and who were the players?