India’s Likely XI for Lord’s Test: 3 Big Changes Expected

July 10, 2025 - The third match of the five-match Test series between India and England will start today, i.e. from July 10, at the historic Lord's Cricket Ground. Both teams will try to win this match to take the lead in the series. Indiaa won the second Test at Edgbaston by a big margin of 336 runs and made the series 1-1. Before that, England had defeated India in the first Test at Leeds.

Now, all eyes will be on the pair of Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir, who will try their best to win the Lord’s Test. For that, India will need to choose a strong playing XI. Jasprit Bumrah is confirmed to play at Lord's, and there might be one or two more changes in the team. Let us take a look at the probable playing XI for Team India.

Does Siraj Need Rest?

People often talk about Jasprit Bumrah’s workload. Even after a 7-day break after the first Test, he was given rest in the second match. But what about Mohammad Siraj? If we look at the data since January 1, 2023, Siraj has bowled 533.1 overs, the most by any Indian fast bowler. In comparison, Bumrah has bowled 437.2 overs.

In the first two matches of this series, Siraj has already bowled 72.3 overs in 4 innings, which is second only to Josh Tongue (81 overs). This shows how much workload Siraj has taken. Giving him a break in the Lord’s Test could help him recover and return fresh for the last two matches of the series.

Arshdeep May Replace Siraj

If Siraj is rested, India will have two options — Arshdeep Singh or Harshit Rana. Looking at the conditions at Lord’s, Arshdeep seems like the better choice. He is a left-arm fast bowler and can trouble the England batsmen with early swing. The slope at Lord’s can also help him move the ball more.

In the first two Tests, Indian pacers did not get much swing. Arshdeep can solve that problem. His bowling style and angle could add variety to India’s pace attack.

Bumrah Set to Return, Krishna Likely to Miss Out

Jasprit Bumrah will return for the Lord’s Test. That means Prasidh Krishna is likely to be dropped. In the second Test, Krishna gave away too many runs. He went wicketless in the first innings and took only one wicket in the second innings. His high economy rate and poor impact may lead to his exclusion from the playing XI.

Will Kuldeep Get a Chance?

Kuldeep Yadav has taken 56 wickets in 13 Tests, and 21 of those have come against England. His record shows he can trouble English batsmen. In the second Test, Gill said he wanted to play Kuldeep, but the team needed batting depth, so Washington Sundar was selected instead.

In that match, India’s top order scored most of the runs, and the lower order was not needed much. So, there is now a chance that Kuldeep may be picked to strengthen the bowling. If Kuldeep plays, Sundar may have to sit out.

India’s Probable Playing XI for Lord’s Test

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj/Arshdeep Singh