First Look Of Lord's Pitch For India vs England 3rd Test Out. It's Scary

The Anderson-Gavaskar Trophy now shifts to Lord's. After India's historic win in Edgbaston, for the first time in 58 years, the five-match series is level 1-1. While in Edgbaston, the Indian cricket team was without Jasprit Bumrah, in Lord's the pace superstar will return. In India's last outing at Lord's in 2021, they beat England by 151 runs. According to a report, after Edgbaston loss, the England team management is eager for a pitch that aids its pacers. 

The first look of Lord's pitch, posted by several social media handles on Tuesday, showed a green pitch which has been watered very well. Two days before the match, it's a given that the grass on the pitch is a lot more pronounced than on the first day of the match day. But going by England's recent statement, it seems a green pitch may be in the offing to aid returning pacer Jofra Archer. The two pitches used so far in Leeds and Edgbaston aided the batters. 

According to report by news agency PTI, 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.

With PTI inputs 

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