England Resort To Pitch Politics At Lord's After India's Edgbaston Win

Stung by their 336-run thrashing at Edgbaston, England have requested a pitch with "plenty of life in it" as they look to unleash returning pacers Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson in the third Test against India at Lord's, starting July 10. Archer is set for a long-awaited Test comeback after persistent elbow and back injuries that kept him out since February 2021, while Atkinson, who missed the second Test due to a hamstring issue, is also expected to bolster the pace attack.

England coach Brendon McCullum said he wants "something with a bit more pace, a bit more bounce, and maybe a little bit of sideways" from MCC head groundsman Karl McDermott, taking cue from last month's World Test Championship final where Pat Cummins and Kagiso Rabada found significant seam movement.

"It'll be a blockbuster either way, but I think it's going to set up for a cracker – especially if there's plenty of life in it (the pitch)," McCullum was quoted as saying in ESPNcricinfo.

England had earlier preferred flatter pitches to suit their aggressive style of play. While more bounce and carry at Leeds aided their five-wicket win in the first Test, the Edgbaston surface offered sub-continental conditions, allowing Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj to extract far more movement than England pacers as the visitors levelled the series 1-1.

Archer 'ready to go'

Archer trained with England ahead of the second Test, bowling consistently on practice strips to build up his workload after his county stint with Sussex last month.

"He'll certainly be available for selection," McCullum said.

"Our seamers have gone two Tests on the spin and we've got a short turnaround before we head down to HQ.

"We'll let the dust settle on this one, but Jofra is looking fit, he's looking strong, he's looking ready to go, and he'll come into calculations. It's hugely exciting.

"We all know what he's capable of achieving in Test cricket, and we hope that when the opportunity does arrive for him, he's able to recapture and also improve on what he's been able to do already in that form of the game." Atkinson has also been added to the squad for Lord's.

"We need to have a good look at Gus," McCullum said.

"We'll just see how the dust settles on this (Test). The guys had quite a heavy workload. When you chase a bit of leather, you obviously go pretty deep into your spells as well. So we'll see how they are, and then we'll make the decision when we get down the road."

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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