Lord's Test Prep: Bumrah Sharpens Skills as Gill & Pant Rest; India Eyes Series Lead

The Indian cricket team's post-travel day nets session at Lord's Cricket Ground saw a few notable absentees. Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, KL Rahul, and Yashasvi Jaiswal did not participate in the optional session on July 8th. The team had arrived from Birmingham by bus the previous day, and most players opted for rest after their journey.

Lord's nets (Photo by Sahil Malhotra/TimesofIndia.com)

However, several players expected to feature in the third Test, starting July 10th, were present. Karun Nair, Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Ravindra Jadeja trained diligently under the watchful eyes of head coach Gautam Gambhir and the coaching staff. Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, and Arshdeep Singh also continued their preparations. Prasidh Krishna, likely to make way for Bumrah in the playing XI, focused on his batting before a drill with bowling coach Morne Morkel.

The session was a light one, primarily aimed at familiarizing players with the venue and conditions. The focus was once again on Bumrah, who went through his pre-bowling routine, including stretching and spot deliveries, before bowling at full intensity. Similar to his approach in Birmingham, where he trained but did not play, he spent considerable time bowling to teammates in the nets and practicing his batting.

Throughout the session, Bumrah engaged in lighthearted banter with the ground staff, comparing pitches from previous Tests to those in Kanpur and Nagpur. He also maintained a lively conversation with Arshdeep Singh. His rhythm appeared strong as he bowled long spells to Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan, while also dedicating time to refining his batting skills.

Nitish bowled for an extended period, Kuldeep focused on generating spin, and Jadeja dedicated extra time to his batting before engaging in his customary lengthy discussions with coach Gambhir.

The Indian team enters the third Test in a positive frame of mind, buoyed by their victory in Edgbaston and their strong performance at Headingley. The batsmen have been in excellent form, and the bowlers showcased their skills effectively in Birmingham, securing India's first win in the format. With Bumrah's return for Lord's, the team's confidence will receive a further boost. Akash Deep and Siraj were impressive with the new ball, and Bumrah's presence will enhance the attack's control and bite.

Despite the short turnaround time between the two Tests, India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak suggested that Siraj, who has played both games, should be ready for the challenge. Both Siraj and Bumrah have previously played a Test at Lord's during the 2021 series and will be able to share valuable insights with their teammates who are playing at the ground for the first time.