“ENGLAND’S BATTERS AREN'T GOING TO BE COMFORTABLE AT LORD’S WITH HOW SIRAJ AND AKASH ARE BOWLING" – VARUN AARON
Published - 09 Jul 2025, 05:59 PM | Updated - 09 Jul 2025, 06:01 PM
Speaking on ‘Game Plan’, JioHotstar expert Varun Aaron shared his thoughts on potential changes to the Indian playing XI ahead of the third Test against England at Lord’s:
“Jasprit Bumrah is definitely going to come in. Now, the only question is whether India will go with four fast bowlers or stick to three. Nitish Kumar Reddy is most likely to be rested. He is expected to make way for another player, as India could not fully utilise his skillset in the previous match. I also felt he could have contributed a little more on the field. He is a quality player, no doubt, but he might have to wait a bit longer for a consistent run. With both, the batting and bowling departments firing well, India has the flexibility to either bring in an extra batter or an extra bowler based on the conditions.”
On India’s bowling strategy:
“I feel Mohammed Siraj will definitely move to first change, coming in at No. 3 in the bowling line-up. He has that ability to zip the ball through, with a slightly older Dukes ball—and in my opinion, the Dukes ball actually behaves better when used as a first-change option. Especially for someone like Siraj, who is getting some beautiful outswing at the moment. Just look at his seam position and how he is presenting the ball—it is outstanding. The way he got the openers out in both innings, especially Zak Crawley, luring him into that drive outside the off-stump, speaks volumes about his control and skill. As for Akash Deep, you simply cannot leave him out. He is currently among the top three bowlers in the world in terms of new-ball averages. Much like Jasprit Bumrah, he can bowl whenever and wherever you need him to.”
On England’s batting department:
“I don't think England’s batters are going to be very comfortable heading into Lord’s, especially after the way Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep bowled in the last Test. And now, with a resurgent Jasprit Bumrah coming back into the side, the threat only intensifies. Ravindra Jadeja is bowling beautifully—he has not missed his mark at all. Washington Sundar has looked solid too. Even Prasidh Krishna, in that final spell on Day 5 at Edgbaston—especially at the start of the day—really showed significant progress. He looked like a bowler, who wants to hit his areas consistently, rather than just float the ball in. That intent makes a big difference.”
Catch Day 1 of the third Test of India’s tour of England, tomorrow at 3:30 PM, live on JioHotstar
