Why Bumrah's Injury Could Decide the Lord's ODI Series

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-07-20

England won the toss and chose to bat first in the third and deciding ODI at Lord's, setting up a winner-takes-all clash against India. Harry Brook, standing in as captain, called the pitch good for batting and backed his team to put up a big total. But the big story is Jasprit Bumrah missing this match after failing a fitness test, which has forced India into some major lineup changes. ### Bumrah's Knee Injury Shakes Up India's Plans India's captain Shubman Gill confirmed that Bumrah is out with a swollen left knee, an impact injury he picked up while fielding in Cardiff. It's a tough break for a bowler who's been India's go-to weapon in crunch moments. Washington Sundar is also sidelined with a hamstring injury from the second match. Shivam Dube was dropped for tactical reasons, not fitness. KL Rahul returns after missing the last game due to illness, which adds some experience back to the middle order. Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav come into the XI, giving India a seam-heavy attack with Axar Patel as the only frontline spinner. Gill explained the logic: spinners haven't troubled batters much in the middle overs at this ground, so they wanted four seamers. He also said he would have batted first if he'd won the toss. ### What's at Stake for Both Teams For England, a win here would be just their eighth victory in 22 bilateral ODI matches against India. That's a pretty poor record, and it would take some pressure off head coach Brendon McCullum, who stepped down as Test coach just last week. A series win at Lord's would be a big morale boost for a team that's been inconsistent. For India, this match carries extra weight. Rumors during the second ODI suggested this could be Rohit Sharma's last appearance in international cricket. If that's true, a series win at Lord's would be a fitting way to close out his career, especially since India hasn't beaten England at this venue since 2004. ### Full Playing XIs for the Decider Here are the lineups for the final match: - **England:** Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Adil Rashid. - **India:** Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna. England made just one change, bringing in Josh Tongue for Saqib Mahmood. Tongue debuted in the format during the opening ODI at Edgbaston and now gets his second appearance. India made three changes, two forced by injuries and one tactical. ### The Bigger Picture This series has been tightly contested, with both teams winning one match apiece. The result at Lord's will decide it outright. For India, it's about proving they can win without Bumrah and handling the pressure of a must-win game. For England, it's about turning around a losing record against India and building momentum under McCullum. Either way, this is a match that could define careers and set the tone for future series. Cricket fans are in for a treat.