"It will become even more difficult for England" - Irfan Pathan on India's playing 11 for ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes England could face an even tougher challenge in the third Test at Lord’s, beginning Thursday, July 10, especially if seam-friendly conditions are dished out. With premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah set to return after being rested for the second Test due to workload management, Pathan feels India’s pace attack will be even more formidable.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel (@officialIrfanPathan) on the eve of the match, July 9, Pathan suggested that England might be forced to rethink their aggressive Bazball approach, given how effectively India have countered every aspect of their game.

“Now England will be left confused — if they win the toss, what should they do? Should they stick to their usual approach? Ideally, you shouldn’t abandon something that has worked for you. Personally, I hope they don’t change their Bazball style. But the challenges are real. What are those challenges? For one, India has countered every aspect of their game,” Pathan remarked.

“And looking at the seam-friendly conditions, India’s main weapon — Jasprit Bumrah — who will return. Once he returns, it will become even more difficult for England. Akash Deep is already getting sharp movement, and Siraj will benefit too, even if he bowls as first change. India even has the option of adding another seaming bowler if needed — that’s the depth they have,” he added.

While discussing India’s probable playing XI, the 40-year-old stated that one confirmed change would be Bumrah replacing Prasidh Krishna. Pathan also suggested that the team management might be tempted to bring in Shardul Thakur in place of Washington Sundar, considering the conditions at Lord’s.

“Just one confirmed change — Jasprit Bumrah coming in for Prasidh Krishna. That’s a sure shot. Apart from that, the only decision India will have to consider is whether to continue with Washington Sundar if the conditions are seam-friendly, or go back to Shardul Thakur," Pathan added.

“Washington Sundar performed well, but if the pitch at Lord’s offers more seam movement, will his bowling really be effective? At Edgbaston, the conditions were ideal for him — even some rough patches were visible — but at Lord’s, India might consider going back to a fast-bowling all-rounder. However, that brings back the batting dilemma. So this will be a tricky call. Personally, I’d be slightly tilted in favour of Shardul,” he continued.

Shardul featured in the first Test in Leeds, where he returned figures of 0/38 from six overs in the first innings and 2/51 from 10 overs in the second.

---

Irfan Pathan suggests two changes for England in the 3rd Test at Lord’s

In the same video, Irfan Pathan discussed England’s potential playing XI, stating that the top eight is likely to remain unchanged. However, he opined that changes could be made in the bowling line-up. With the Lord’s surface expected to aid seamers, Pathan noted that England might opt for an all-pace attack, with Joe Root taking up the spin responsibilities. He said:

“For positions 9, 10, and 11 — in the last match, they had Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, and Shoaib Bashir. But now, with talk of Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson coming in, if both are picked, two fast bowlers from the previous match would have to sit out. And if seam-friendly conditions are expected, England might consider dropping the spinner (Bashir) altogether. In that case, Joe Root could handle part-time spin duties. Root can easily bowl 8–10 overs if needed.”

“This decision might be influenced by the approach Ben Stokes talked about — that they don’t want subcontinent-style pitches in England. The Birmingham Test already felt like playing in India. So, if there’s pressure on the curator to keep grass on the pitch and not water it down, we might even see a full fast-bowling attack. In my opinion, England might play Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson, and Jofra Archer — which means Shoaib Bashir and Josh Tongue would sit out," he continued.

Pathan’s predicted England XI includes: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, and Gus Atkinson.