Ben Stokes Elects to Bat First Against India in Third Test at Lord's

England's Decision to Bat First

On July 10, England's captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat first in the third Test match against India at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground.

India has had a commendable track record at Lord's, securing victories in two out of their last three visits in 2014, 2018, and 2021.

In the previous Test at Birmingham, India showcased an impressive performance despite the absence of Bumrah, with Shubman Gill scoring remarkable innings of 269 and 161. Mohammed Siraj took six wickets, while Akash Deep achieved a ten-wicket haul.

Historically, India and England have clashed 19 times at Lord's, with England winning 12 matches and India claiming victory in three.

After the toss, Stokes commented, “We are going to bat. The surface generally offers something early on. This series has been competitive, and we are ready for this match. The team is fit and eager to play at Lord's, which is always enjoyable. We have made one change.”

Stokes also mentioned, “I was uncertain about the decision until this morning. I would have opted to bowl first as there is usually assistance for bowlers in the initial session. Everyone contributed to the discussion, and the bowlers are feeling confident. It’s challenging to take 20 wickets on this pitch. As a batter, I feel great and look forward to being in the thick of the action. We have made one change – Bumrah replaces Prasidh.”

Teams:

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.

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.