Pace and Bounce could be the flavour at Lords for the 3rd Test as McCullum has asked for a pitch with “plenty of life in it”.
England want pace and bounce at Lord’s as Jofra Archer ‘ready to go’.
In an attempt to bounce back after a 336-run thumping by India at Edgbaston, England has requested a surface with “plenty of life in it” at Lord’s this week as they get ready to welcome back Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson.
Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum think that India benefited from the “subcontinent-style” surface that was set up at Edgbaston, as well as Stokes’ mistake at the toss of selecting to bowl first. They will try to better take advantage of their home advantage in Thursday’s third Test. After a demanding week in the field, they are also considering adjustments to their fast-bowling attack.
Pat Cummins and Kagiso Rabada both found considerable seam movement as fast bowlers dominated last month’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s. McCullum has asked MCC chief groundsman Karl McDermott for “something with a bit more pace, a bit more bounce, and maybe a little bit of sideways” and seems to have a similar surface in mind. “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],” he stated.
India won a thrilling Test match at Lord’s four years ago, but they were taken off guard by a green seamer there in 2018. They are looking forward to a different kind of surface and will welcome Jasprit Bumrah back into their seam attack after he rested in Birmingham.
After returning to first-class cricket for Sussex last month, Archer progressively increased his workload by training with England before the second Test and bowling on the practice strips at that time. Although he hasn’t played Test cricket since February 2021 due to a string of elbow and back problems, McCullum made it clear that he would make a comeback at the stadium where he made his debut.
“He’ll certainly be available for selection,” he 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.
“He’s loving being around the group, and it’s great to have him. He’s obviously been through his injuries and his time out of Test cricket. But 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.”