As anticipation builds for the third Test between India and England at Lord’s from July 10 to 14, India’s Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant addressed the media with crucial insights into the team’s strategy and selection. The five-match series is delicately poised at 1-1, making this clash at the Home of Cricket a potentially series-defining encounter.

Pant, who has been in sublime form with twin centuries at Headingley and a gritty half-century at Edgbaston, revealed that the Indian team management is still weighing its options for the playing XI. A final decision, he said, will be made only after a thorough assessment of the pitch conditions just before the toss.

“The options are still open, and discussions are ongoing. Sometimes, the wicket changes colour in two days. We’ll make a call accordingly. Whether it will be 3+1 or 3+2 (bowling combination) is yet to be decided,” Rishabh Pant said, keeping the suspense alive around India’s bowling setup.

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In the previous Test at Edgbaston, India fielded three pacers—Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, and Prasidh Krishna—along with two spin-bowling all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, and a pace-bowling all-rounder in Nitish Kumar Reddy.

With pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah set to return after being rested for workload management, the big question now revolves around Kuldeep Yadav’s inclusion. Kuldeep, who was expected to feature in the Edgbaston Test, may finally get his chance at Lord’s. He last played against England in Dharamsala earlier this year, where he took a five-wicket haul.

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If the team opts for a more attacking spin option, Kuldeep could come in for Nitish Kumar Reddy, who replaced Shardul Thakur in the second Test. Reddy failed to make an impact, going wicketless and scoring just one run in each innings.

The decision will hinge on India’s pitch reading and whether they prefer depth in batting or a more potent spin attack at Lord’s, traditionally a venue with some assistance for seamers early on but known to flatten out as the game progresses.