The conditions at Lord’s for the third Test may well differ from those of the first two games, but India aren’t worried about the nature of the surface on offer.
“Whatever conditions are given to us, we are fine with them. We don’t want to think about what the opposition is thinking, if they are changing their plans or not,” vice-captain Rishabh Pant said on Wednesday.
“See, we were discussing that the wickets will be good in England. Because the way they play their cricket, they need a good wicket. So, we are thinking about how we can get 20 wickets on a good wicket. Shubman Gill has been talking about (getting) 20 wickets,” the keeper-batsman added.
Acknowledging that the short turnaround between the second and third Tests will help India maintain the momentum, Pant didn’t wish to read much into the comeback of pacer Jofra Archer (replacing Josh Tongue) in the England XI.
“Personally, whenever I step onto the field, I always enjoy my cricket and try to give my 200 per cent. It’s not about any individual.
“Yes, it’s going to be a good contest because he (Archer)’s also coming back after a long break. Let’s see how it goes. But yes, I’m happy he’s back,” Pant said.
His camaraderie with captain Gill has also been reflected in the series, which certainly helped the team, which lacks a bit of experience, especially in batting.
“When you have a good camaraderie, it eventually shows on the field. And that is exactly what happened,” Pant agreed.
“When two people trust each other, the communication is better on the ground. Hopefully, we can do the same things with the whole team going forward.”
Upset with Dukes
The Indians are not at all happy with the Dukes ball that’s in use in the ongoing series. In both Tests so far, the ball has been of little help for the bowlers once it has gone soft.
“These balls are giving so much trouble. Definitely, I feel it’s a big problem, because the ball is getting out of shape,” Pant said.
“From what I’ve seen, the ball is getting out of shape a little too much. That has never happened before. It’s definitely irritating because every ball plays differently. When it becomes softer, it’s not doing too much. But as soon as the ball gets changed, the new one is just starting to do enough.
“As a batsman, you’ve got to keep on adjusting. At the same time, I feel it’s not good for cricket anyway.”