India hammered England by 336 runs in the second Test in Birmingham to level the five-match series 1-1. The first two Tests were played on flat tracks at Headingley and Edgbaston, with the tourists scoring more than 1000 runs across both innings in the second game.
Indian bowlers also outclassed their English counterpart and picked up all 20 wickets in the match to secure a historic win.
The early images of the Lord’s surface showed that there was a bit of grass, meaning that there would be seam and movement on offer for the fast bowlers.
On the eve of the third Test, former cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar suggested that even if the Lord’s offer a green top, India will not go in with four pacers and will instead replace Prasidh Krishna with Jasprit Bumrah in the playing XI.
“I see a seamer going out. Unless it is a seaming green top. Even a green top at Lord’s if the sun is out we saw few years back when Ajinkya Rahane got a hundred it becomes dry,” Manjrekar said while speaking on ESPNCricinfo.
“So I don’t think India will get so carried away. Bumrah back, Siraj and Akash Deep are your three seamers. Prasidh Krishna might just sit out so that could be the obvious choice,” he added.
India played three pacers in Siraj, Akash and Prasidh at Edgbaston. While bagged six wickets in the first innings, Akash returned with a 10-wicket match haul.
“I don’t think so (on India playing for seamers and dropping Nitish Kumar Reddy) because Prasidh Krishna has had his issues. It’s not like he’s not droppable. Mohammed Siraj had a terrific Test, he was another seam bowler who was slightly vulnerable with his place in the 11,” Manjrekar said.
“But Siraj has clinched his place. Prasidh Krishna with the economy being a problem, I don’t see India going in that direction,” he remarked.
Siraj would draw confidence from his match-winning exploits at Lord’s four years ago while Bumrah is a threat even on the flattest of pitches.
“The series is stuck at 1-1 at the moment, but the best bowlers in the series have been from India. Bumrah is by far better than anybody else on show, but the way Akash Deep bowled the last Test and Siraj, they were outstanding and that’s a huge, huge bonus for India to have three seamers, who can take wickets,” former England pacer Darren Gough told PTI earlier.