Joe Root and Shubman Gill. [Source - TheCricketPanda/BCCI/x.com]
England (ENG) and India (IND) will square off against each other in the third Test of the five match series, starting from Thursday, July 10th. The enthralling contest will take place at the Lord's Cricket Ground in London and is scheduled to start at 3:30 PM IST.
IND delivered a dominant performance in Birmingham, leveling the series 1-1 with a commanding win in the second Test. With the contest finely poised, ENG will now look to fight back strongly at Lord’s and regain control of the series.
As another mouthwatering Test match awaits from Lord's, here are the top three captain and vice-captain choices for ENG vs IND 3rd Test.
3. Jasprit Bumrah
Why Will Jasprit Bumrah Be A Good Choice As The Captain Or Vice-captain?
World's Best Bowler: Jasprit Bumrah returns to Lord’s for the second time, now as the world’s best Test bowler by a distance and a prime fantasy captain or vice-captain pick. He has already made a mark in this series with a fiery five-wicket haul in the opening Test and continues to look threatening.
Current Form: Since the start of 2024, Bumrah has been nearly invincible, claiming 78 wickets at an astounding average of 15.8 and a strike-rate of just 31.5. With his lethal form and unmatched consistency, the ace pacer is all set to make another statement at the Home of Cricket.
2. Joe Root
Why Will Joe Root Be A Good Choice As The Captain Or Vice-captain?
Records at Lords: Joe Root remains a top captain or vice-captain choice from the England camp for the upcoming third Test against India at Lord’s. While he is yet to make a big impact in the series, Root’s record at this historic venue is phenomenal with 2,022 runs at an average of 54.64, including seven centuries.
Last Appearance: Root notched up hundreds in both innings of the last Test he played last year against Sri Lanka. In addition, he also scored a century against India when these two sides met each other here in 2021. A player of his caliber rarely stays quiet for long, so expect a big knock soon, making him a must-have fantasy pick.
1. Shubman Gill
Why Will Shubman Gill Be A Good Choice As The Captain Or Vice-captain?
Current Form: Shubman Gill is in the form of his life and an excellent captain or vice-captain pick for the upcoming third Test at Lord’s. He has had a sensational start to the five-match series, amassing 585 runs already, including three centuries, one of them a marathon 269 in the last Test.
Records vs England: Notably, no Indian batter has scored more runs or centuries against England than Gill since his debut in 2021, with over 1100 runs and five tons to his name. Although this will be his first Test at Lord’s, he arrives as India’s captain and will be eager to lead from the front with yet another big innings.