Star Pacer Sidelined as England Hand Josh Tongue a Lord's Recall

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-07-20

The third and decisive ODI at Lord's is set to be a cracker, with England winning the toss and opting to bat first. Harry Brook, standing in as captain, backed his batters to put up a big total on a surface he described as good for batting. But the big talking point before a ball was bowled was Jasprit Bumrah's absence. Bumrah failed a fitness test on his left knee, an injury he picked up while fielding in Cardiff. It's a massive blow for India, who now have to reshuffle their plans at a ground where the series will be decided. Lord's itself has been in the news recently after the ICC flagged its pitch as unsatisfactory during the first New Zealand Test, but Brook seemed unfazed, expecting runs to flow. ### The Line-Up Shake-Up Both teams made changes for this winner-takes-all clash. England brought in Josh Tongue for Saqib Mahmood, giving the young seamer his second ODI appearance after his debut at Edgbaston. It's a straightforward swap that keeps their pace attack fresh. India, though, had to make three alterations, two of them forced by injury. Captain Shubman Gill confirmed Bumrah is out with a swollen knee. Washington Sundar also misses out after damaging his hamstring in the second match. Shivam Dube was left out for tactical reasons rather than fitness. KL Rahul returns after missing the previous game through illness, adding experience 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. ### Why India Went All-In on Pace Gill explained the thinking behind the selection, pointing out that spinners haven't troubled batters much through the middle overs at Lord's. He wanted four seamers in the XI to exploit any movement and keep the pressure on England's batting lineup. He also said he would have chosen to bat first had he won the toss, so the toss loss didn't change their approach too much. - **Key India inclusions:** KL Rahul (returns from illness), Arshdeep Singh (seam option), Prince Yadav (debut or early career chance) - **Key England change:** Josh Tongue in for Saqib Mahmood ### What a Series Win Means for Both Sides For England, a win would give them just their eighth victory in 22 bilateral ODI meetings against India. It would also ease some of the pressure on head coach Brendon McCullum, who stepped down as Test coach only a week earlier. A series win at home, especially at Lord's, would be a much-needed boost. For India, this match carries extra weight beyond the series scoreline. Reports during the second ODI suggested this could be Rohit Sharma's last appearance in international cricket. A series win at Lord's, where India haven't beaten England since 2004, would be a fitting way to close out that chapter for a legend of the game. ### Full Playing XIs for the Decider **England:** Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Adil Rashid **India:** Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna ### The Bottom Line The result at Lord's will decide the series outright, with both teams entering the match at one win apiece after two closely fought contests. With Bumrah out and Tongue in, the dynamics have shifted. Can England's new-look attack make the most of home conditions? Or will India's seam-heavy strategy pay off and give Rohit a memorable farewell? We'll find out soon enough. This is cricket at its best—high stakes, big names, and a venue steeped in history. Whatever happens, it's going to be a thriller.