Bumrah, Archer return as series heads to decisive Lord's Test

The five-Test series between India and England is delicately balanced at 1-1, but the potentially series-defining third match, starting Thursday at the iconic Lord's brings with it an added layer of intrigue with the return of two of modern cricket's most lethal fast bowlers — Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer.

- TRIDIB BAPARNASH

For India, boosted by the series-levelling 336-run victory in the second Test in Birmingham, have fond memories at the Home of Cricket from their previous tour in 2021, and will be eager to recreate the magic. Bumrah, who was rested for the second Test to manage his workload, is expected to slot back into the playing XI, replacing Prasidh Krishna.

The world No. 1-ranked quick, who was instrumental in guiding India to the 151-run victory at the same venue four years ago, looked in his rhythm during the optional training session on Tuesday, bowling for close to an hour without a break. Bumrah tested the patience and the skills of Karun Nair, B Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Dhruv Jurel as he worked his way back towards playing his second Test at Lord's, a venue of which he has fond memories.