3 things England need to do right to beat India in ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test at Lord's ft. Jamie Smith 

England are used to being on the backfoot, whether it be trailing 0-2 to Australia in the 2023 Ashes, or struggling in the subcontinent, but a 336-run loss at home turf to an Indian team in transition, is certainly cause for a warning sign, if not a full-blown crisis. Ben Stokes and co. will either get back on track or go off the rails by the time the third Test against the Men in Blue comes to a close at Lord's.

England, in the Bazball era, have never believed in chopping and changing, or panic changes. Instead, their changes are more focused on timing. In this instance, Jofra Archer's return could not have come at a better time.

England are looking for a complete performance in this series, and realising that they cannot outbat the Indian outfit, they have to seek some alternate ways to get the better of them. With a combination of getting the basics right, and tweaking some plans, there is no reason why the hosts cannot be a threat.

On that note, let us take a look at three things England need to do right to beat India in ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test at Lord's.

#1 Jamie Smith should bat at No.6 over Ben Stokes for England

England batting, despite its massive potential and record, has not been firing on all cylinders, considering the conditions that they have had to exploit. Despite the underachieving act on a whole so far, England have persisted with the same batting core. Lack of solid options on the bench is one thing, but faith in the unit to step up is a bigger reason.

One of the major positives that England have had in the entire series is Jamie Smith's dominant run with the bat. It almost seems absurd that England's leading run-scorer comes into bat at No.7. Not to suggest a radical shift to the top, but the glovesman is well capable of playing at No.6, over Ben Stokes.

It not only allows England to tap into Smith's purple patch, but also relieves some pressure off Ben Stokes, who has been scratchy all series, mustering only a couple of starts. Contrary to Bazball belief, he is actually a slow starter, who prefers to gradually accelerate, before dominating. However, it has just not been working out for him so far, and a move to No.7, considering that he has an extensive bowling workload as well, is not a shoddy option.

England looked at their dominant best with the bat when Harry Brook and Jamie Smith rendered India clueless with the old ball. That is a pairing that England should consider trying to bring together, given how much they complemented each other.

Smith did play at No.6 during the home series against Sri Lanka, when Ben Stokes was ruled out due to an injury. He scored his maiden Test hundred in his very first outing in the position.

#2 Bowl Chris Woakes from the right end to get his lethal nip-backers

There is bound to be a lot of emphasis on the iconic slope at Lord's. While knowing what each end offers at either end of the slope is crucial, assigning bowlers to the right end becomes even more pertinent. Chris Woakes is someone who has a stunning record at the venue. He has taken 32 wickets at an average of 12.91, which includes three five-wicket hauls. It is the venue where he has picked up the most wickets in his career, apart from Old Trafford.

There was a massive difference in the manner he bowled at Headingley and Edgbaston. On his home turf, he was getting the ball to consistently nip back in, and was not relying on swing as such.

Movement off the wicket will be key for the match-up between Woakes and the solid Indian opening pair of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. With the former being an excellent leaver of the ball, and the latter being unforgiving of the deliveries outside the off-stump, the pacers have to make sure to hit the stumps or hover around the fourth stump line at all times.

Chris Woakes, with his nip-backers into the right-handed batter, and one that moves away from the left-handed batter, is an ideal candidate for this task. He tested India with the deliveries coming in during the second Test, but was a touch unlucky due to DRS calls. He has the potential to wreak even more havoc bowling down the slope. forcing Rahul and Jaiswal to play on a tight line to either breach their defence, or force them to make a mistake.

#3 Use Jofra Archer wisely and do not let the game drift away with the old ball

Skipper Ben Stokes had highlighted during the pre-match press conference that he does not intend to limit Jofra Archer to just short spells. However, that might be easier said than done. The right-arm pacer is making his return to Test cricket after four years, and he does not have much red-ball cricket exposure, or even white-ball, for that matter, in recent times.

Since his 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign came to a premature end, he has played only one County Championship match, bowling 18 overs in the solitary innings of the drawn contest. With a green top, and four seamers at their disposal, England have to be careful of using Archer wisely, keeping the big picture in mind.

With Wood and Atkinson's return timeline not quite definite, and England needing a spark in their pace bowling unit after the Edgbaston nightmare, it would be ideal for them to have Archer for the remainder of the series.

Another aspect that England have to be mindful of is how they operate once the new ball loses its spark. India have often been able to carry the game forward, and well away from England against the old ball. Even in the second Test, India recovered from 211-5 in the first innings, and by the time Ben Stokes and co. got the new ball, both Gill and Jadeja were already settled.

When both camps have demanded ball changes, talked about the ball getting soft in press conferences, you know that it is an issue plaguing both sides. But, India ware far more well-equipped to deal with the old ball, with both bat and ball, with an in-form Gill and Pant, the return of Jasprit Bumrah, and their spin twins. England will have to find a way to level the playing field, or risk being out-batted and out-bowled with the old ball again.

The hosts also lost with the new ball to India in both departments in the second Test, but in that regard, they have much more promise and potential to improve, unlike the old ball charge.