As India gear up for the third Test at Lord’s, all eyes remain firmly fixed on captain Shubman Gill, whose scintillating form has reinvigorated the series. With a towering 269 in the first innings and a blistering 161 in the second at Edgbaston, Gill not only powered India to a 336-run victory but also became just the second batter in Test history to score over 150 in both innings of a match.

That emphatic win levelled the five-match series at 1-1 and marked Gill’s first triumph as Test skipper. With a jaw-dropping match aggregate of 430 runs and a series tally now at 585, the 24-year-old is quickly establishing himself as one of the format’s most dominant batters.

Ahead of the third Test, England captain Ben Stokes acknowledged Gill’s brilliance while hinting that plans are in place. “Good players are allowed to play well — and he’s played very well in the first two games,” Stokes told reporters.

England, however, have made a high-impact change that could alter the dynamic at Lord’s — the return of Jofra Archer. Out of Test cricket for years due to injury, Archer replaces Josh Tongue in the XI and brings with him the kind of raw pace and threat that could rattle even the most in-form batters.

“It’s very exciting,” said Stokes. “Jofra’s comeback is a massive boost. Whenever he gets the ball in hand, there’s a noticeable shift — not just for us, but the opposition feel it too.”

As the third Test looms, England will be banking on fresh legs and Archer’s firepower to shift momentum — but stopping Gill might prove their toughest task yet.

Back in the attack

Star pacer Jofra Archer is set to feature in his first Test since 2021 as England included him in their playing XI for the third match against India on a spicy surface at Lord's.

The five-match series is locked 1-1 at the moment and heading into the third Test, England are hoping to add some spark to their bowling attack with the long-awaited comeback of Archer, who had been laid low by multiple injuries in recent years.

Archer comes in place of Josh Tongue.

"England Men have made one change to their XI for the Rothesay Third Test against India at Lord's, starting on Thursday.

"Sussex fast bowler Jofra Archer replaces Nottinghamshire's Josh Tongue. It will be Archer's first Test appearance since February 2021, also against India, in Ahmedabad," the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement on Wednesday.

Archer has only played white-ball cricket for England since 2021 after elbow and back injuries.

The 30-year-old pacer has taken 42 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 31.04 since making his debut against Australia in 2019.

England won the series opener at Leeds before India staged a remarkable comeback to restore parity with a massive victory at Birmingham.

England playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir. PTI (With inputs from Agencies)