Archer ready to return on spicy Lord's surface

ENGLAND head coach Brendon McCullum has predicted a “blockbuster” third Test against India, hoping a spicier Lord’s pitch can assist a bowling attack that is expected to feature Jofra Archer.

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The first two games of the Rothesay series have seen an avalanche of runs, with 11 centuries between the teams and nine players averaging more than 50.

India skipper Shubman Gill has been particularly prolific, piling up 430 in two innings on a flat deck at Edgbaston as his side levelled the scoreline at 1-1.

He now has 585 runs, with the potential for six more attempts, and is being touted as a contender for the first player to score 1,000 in a single series.

But even he suggested a better balance between the disciplines was preferable, warning the game must not “lose its essence” by favouring batters too heavily.

And McCullum hopes for a reset at Lord’s, where runs proved harder to come by in the recent World Test Championship final.