The third Test between England and India at the iconic Lord's venue promises to be a cracker of a contest, especially with another round in the ongoing rivalry between two modern legends — Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah and England’s star batter Joe Root.
Team India’s morale heading into Lord’s will be high, following their first-ever win at Edgbaston by 336 runs, which levelled the series. Fine bowling performances from Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, even in the absence of their ‘Jassi Bhai’, proved that the pace unit is in safe hands when the new ball is doing the talking. After the win, skipper Shubman Gill confirmed Jasprit Bumrah’s return for the Lord’s Test.
In the first Test, Bumrah had to shoulder a heavy workload, with his inexperienced counterparts leaking too many runs. He bowled nearly 44 overs in the match and took a five-wicket haul in the first innings, including the key wicket of Root. In the second innings, while defending 371 runs, he went wicketless despite his best efforts.
So far in this series, Root has not exactly set the cricketing world alight, unlike his dominant form since the start of the 2020s. With just 109 runs in four innings — including an unbeaten 53* at Leeds — Root has been a slow starter.
In this rivalry, Bumrah has enjoyed the upper hand so far, having dismissed Root 10 times in 26 innings. Root averages just 29.60 against him, scoring 296 runs off 584 balls with 37 fours and a strike rate just above 50.
What could work in Root’s favour is his exceptional record at the 'Home of Cricket'. In 22 Tests and 40 innings at Lord’s, Root is England’s leading run-getter, with 2,022 runs at an average of 54.64, including seven centuries and seven fifties, with a best score of 254*.
In his sole Test at Lord’s, Bumrah took three wickets during India’s famous 2021 win under Virat Kohli’s captaincy.
When these two titans collide at Lord’s, expect unmatched thrills — perhaps a Bumrah peach to dismantle Root, a Root masterclass, or, in the best-case scenario, both. Who will walk out victorious in this battle?
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