India’s Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant has given an idea of what the team’s bowling attack might look like for the upcoming third Test against England at Lord’s.
In the first match of the series, India chose only one spinner—Ravindra Jadeja. For the second Test, they added Washington Sundar as another spin option. The team also made a notable switch at Edgbaston by bringing in Nitish Kumar Reddy instead of Shardul Thakur.
There could be further tweaks for the Lord’s game, especially with Jasprit Bumrah likely to return. Though Pant didn’t confirm the final lineup, he shared that they’re considering three fast bowlers along with either one or two spinners. We’re still discussing it. The pitch can change in a couple of days. We’ll decide soon—could be three pacers plus one or two spinners,” Pant explained before the match.
Ben Stokes Ready for Tough Challenge at Lord’s
As the series stands level at 1-1, England skipper Ben Stokes said his team is ready for a tough battle in the third Test at Lord’s.”He noted that both India and England are strong teams, so the series was always expected to be closely fought. “We knew this would be a series with ups and downs. Both sides are very good, so results will swing either way,” Stokes said. He added that England plans to play aggressively in the upcoming match starting July 10. We’ll go hard at them and aim to get the win,” Stokes remarked.
Ashwin Urges Fair Assessment of Rishabh Pant’s Test Career
Veteran off-spinner R. Ashwin shared his views on Rishabh Pant’s growth in Test cricket, saying the wicketkeeper-batter deserves to be judged on his own skills instead of being compared to former Australian star Adam Gilchrist.
Ashwin highlighted that Pant’s bold and attacking style makes him popular with fans, but he believes Pant can improve further by mixing his aggression with better awareness of match situations.
“I want Pant to reach his best. He should entertain us, but also know when to hold back. He’s no longer new to the game. Let’s measure him against top players,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Pant, now 27, has become one of India’s key Test players. He has repeatedly delivered under pressure, especially in tough overseas conditions. His ability to change the course of a game with aggressive batting has been crucial for India.
Recently, Pant reached a special landmark by becoming the first Asian wicketkeeper-batter to score 2,000 Test runs in South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia—proving his consistency away from home.
Among his memorable knocks are twin centuries at Leeds, making him only the second wicketkeeper after Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower to score hundreds in both innings of a Test there. He also smashed a rapid 65 off 58 balls at Edgbaston, helping India win by 336 runs and level the series.
Ashwin praised Pant’s natural talent but stressed that he needs to know when to attack and when to play carefully.
“He’s an excellent player. Many compare him to Gilchrist, but Pant actually has strong defensive skills. He should be seen as one of the best on his own terms,” Ashwin added.
