A day before the third match of the ENG vs IND Test series, the England cricket team unveiled its playing XI for the historic match to be held at Lord's.

After the crushing defeat in the Edgbaston Test against Team India, the England cricket team is looking quite restless and troubled. After such a bad defeat at home, Ben Stokes' team is hoping to take the lead in the series again.

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Archer made a comeback after 4 years

For this, captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum have made a big decision. England has announced the playing XI for the ENG vs IND third match of the Test series starting on Thursday, July 10 at Lord's, and one change has been made in it. After a gap of 4 years, star fast bowler Jofra Archer returned to the Test playing 11.

After the defeat in the Edgbaston Test, it was believed that there would be a change in the playing XI, but there was curiosity about which player would return. Apart from Archer, England also had the option of Gus Atkinson. While Archer was returning to Test cricket after a long time, Atkinson was injured in the month of May and was recalled to the squad only for the Lord's Test.

The pair of Stokes and McCullum decided to give preference to Archer's fast speed and ability to get bounce for this test. With this, Archer is making a comeback in Test cricket after about 4 years and 5 months. Coincidentally, his last Test match was also against Team India, when he was part of the Ahmedabad Test in February 2021.

Tongue out of the Playing XI

The surprising thing is that the bowler in whose place Archer was selected in the playing XI has taken the most wickets in the ENG vs IND series so far. The English team has decided to exclude young pacer Josh Tongue from the Lord's Test.

Tongue has taken the most wickets in this series so far, 11. However, one reason for this is his lack of control over line length, due to which he was proving to be quite expensive.

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ENG vs IND 3rd Test at Lord's: England Playing XI 

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir.

The Buchi Babu 2025 tournament has started by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association from 18 August to 9 September. In Round 1, TNCA XI and Mumbai are facing off at Gojan College B Ground. On the very first day of this match, India's Out-of-favour middle-order batsman Sarfaraz Khan has attracted everyone's attention by scoring a brilliant century.

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Sarfaraz hit 92-ball century

Sarfaraz Khan scored this century while batting at number 5. When he came to bat, Mumbai had lost three wickets for 98 runs. After this, Sarfaraz Khan handled the team's innings and scored a stormy century. Sarfaraz reached the 100-run mark in just 92 balls. During this, he also hit 9 fours and 3 sixes. 

Not selected for England tour

This innings is special for Sarfaraz Khan in many ways, because recently he was not selected in the Indian Test team for the England tour. Sarfaraz has been in the news for his fitness for some time now. After not being selected in Team India, he worked a lot on his fitness. Sarfaraz Khan surprised everyone by losing about 17 kg in just one and a half months.

This is his first match after losing weight and he has been successful in leaving his mark in this match. Sarfaraz Khan is now eyeing to make his place in the home Test series to be played against West Indies.

Sarfaraz's Test performance for India so far

The last of Sarfaraz’s six Tests came during New Zealand’s tour of India last year. After scoring a brilliant 150 in the first Test against the Kiwis in Bengaluru, Sarfaraz just managed 21 runs in the subsequent four innings as India was blanked 0-3 at home. In 11 Test innings so far, Sarfaraz has scored 371 runs at a middling average of 37.10.

Also Read: Shreyas Iyer's best knocks in Tests

Though Sarfaraz was picked in the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, he didn’t play a single game in the five-match affair.

However, with Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan failing to make a statement with the willow during the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series in England, Sarfaraz has a golden opportunity to be in the scheme of things again ahead of a packed home season.

India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has returned to the nets for the first time since undergoing surgery on his lower right abdomen. Asia Cup 2025 is going to start from 9th September. All the teams have started their preparations. This time the tournament will be played in T20 format. In such a situation, it is very important for Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav to be fit. The Indian skipper is now working hard to be fully fit in time for the tournament, which will also act as a key preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

If he recovers in time, SKY will not only lead the side but also have a chance to break multiple T20I records in Asia Cup 2025. Let's have a look.

Also Read: Shreyas Iyer's best knocks in Tests

Records Suryakumar Yadav can break in Asia Cup 2025

3,000 T20I Runs with 160+ Strike Rate

The 34-year-old is on the verge of becoming the first player in T20I history to score 3,000 runs while maintaining a strike rate above 160. He is currently 402 runs short of the milestone. No batter in history has got to 3,000 T20I runs with a strike rate above 150.

Most Centuries in T20Is

Surya also needs one more century to equal the joint record of five T20I hundreds held by Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell. Batting in the top order will give him a golden opportunity to at least equal, if not surpass, their record. Given his IPL 2025 form, breaking it outright isn’t out of the question.

Players with 150 T20I Sixes

Sky just needs four more sixes to join the elite club of players with 150 T20I sixes, with 146 sixes to his name. Only Rohit (205), Martin Guptill (173), Muhammad Waseem (168), and Jos Buttler (160) have cleared the rope more often. This one could be ticked off within a match or two.

Surya is focused on recovery and fitness

To speed up his recovery, Suryakumar withdrew from the Duleep Trophy 2025 and has been concentrating on strength-building, mobility work, and match fitness at the NCA. His training is aimed at ensuring he can handle the demands of back-to-back matches in the Asia Cup.

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Surya's performance in IPL 2025

Surya was last seen playing for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025. He batted brilliantly this season and won the Most Valuable Player award by scoring 717 runs for Mumbai Indians.

Rohit Sharma retired from the T20 format after the T20 World Cup 2024. After this, Surya is captaining the Indian T20I team. Surya has shown excellent captaincy. He has won 17 matches for India in 22 matches. 

The Indian team will start its campaign in Asia Cup 2025 from September 10, where it will face UAE. Apart from this, the big match between India and Pakistan will be played on September 14.

Shreyas Iyer is on the verge of a comeback to India’s Test and T20I squads after dominating in ODIs and IPL 2025. Selectors now see Iyer as an all-format solution for India’s middle order, especially ahead of the Asia Cup and West Indies Test series. His comeback is expected to bring stability and experience, especially on spin-friendly tracks where India has struggled lately. 

Iyer has been out of favour in Tests since a back issue and poor form saw him lose his berth during the home series against England last year. The decision-makers, however, feel Iyer has done all the right things since losing his contract after expressing a reluctance to play domestic cricket. 

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Let's have a look at Shreyas Iyer's best knocks in Tests.

Shreyas Iyer's best knocks in Tests

105 vs New Zealand (2021)

It was one of Shreyas Iyer's best knocks in Tests against New Zealand in the first test match in Kanpur. Iyer played a phenomenal knock of 105 runs off 171 balls, including 13 fours and two sixes. This knock was memorable for Iyer as it was his debut hundred in the test match against New Zealand.

92 vs Sri Lanka (2022)

Iyer played a gem of a knock in the pink-ball Test at M Chinnaswamy Stadium against Sri Lanka in 2022. India were 86/4 after electing to bat. Iyer shone with a blistering 92 off 98 deliveries, whipping 10 fours and four maximums.

He played with the tail-enders and was the last man to be dismissed (252/10). India eventually won by 238 runs.

87 vs Bangladesh (2022)

Bowling first, India folded Bangladesh on 227. India, however, had a shaky start and were down to 94/4. Iyer then joined hands with a ferocious-looking Rishabh Pant and the duo plundered 159 runs for the fifth wicket. The pair played a part as India snatched an 87-run lead (314/10).

Iyer smacked 87 off 105 deliveries (4s: 10, 6s: 2), lifting India from the trenches.

86 vs Bangladesh (2022)

India stumbled in the first Test too (112/4 in 31.4 overs). They needed to keep the Tigers at bay. Iyer and Cheteshwar Pujara delivered the needful, stitching a 149-run partnership before the latter departed (261/5).

Iyer got out the next day after a well-struck 86 off 192 deliveries. India ended up scoring 404 in the first innings and eventually won by 188 runs.

67 vs Sri Lanka (2022)

Rishabh Pant put the Sri Lankan attack to the sword with a record-breaking half-century while Shreyas Iyer yet again conjured up a measured fifty to let India grab complete control of the second Test over Sri Lanka.

Pant’s 31-ball 50 and Iyer’s 67 after useful contributions from top-order batters meant that India set Sri Lanka a mammoth 447-run target after declaring their second innings at 303 for nine. 

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65 vs New Zealand (2021)

It was another mature knock from Iyer while playing only his second innings in the purest format. India (41/3) were in a spot of bother when the debutant arrived. Despite running out of partners, Iyer managed to carve a 125-ball 65. He ended up top-scoring for the hosts.

He was noted for fetching pivotal stands with Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha, helping India reach 167/7.

Matt Henry dismissed opener Brian Bennett for a duck during his first over of Zimbabwe’s second innings on the third day of the second Test, and that made it the 38th consecutive innings of him taking at least one wicket. Among pacers, only Australia’s Dennis Lillee and Pakistan’s Waqar Younis have maintained a longer streak of taking at least one wicket in an innings.

In this article, we will have a look at the pacers with longest wicket-taking streak in Tests.

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Longest wicket-taking streak in Tests among pacers

1. Dennis Lillee | 41 Innings

One of Australia's greatest ever fast bowlers, Dennis Lillee held the record for longest wicket-taking streak in Tests. He has 41 consecutive innings of taking at least one wicket. 

Lillee finished his career with 355 Test wickets playing 70 matches, including taking a wicket off his final delivery in international cricket. He also has 23 five-wicket hauls and 7 ten-wicket hauls.

2. Waqar Younis | 41 Innings

Waqar Younis jointly holds the record for longest wicket-taking streak in Tests, as the former Pakistan seamer achieved this feat for 41 straight innings. The former right arm fast bowler is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time.

As of 2012, Younis holds the record for the youngest Pakistani Test captain and the third youngest Test captain in history (22 years 15 days). He played 87 Tests matches for Pakistan during his international cricket career from 1989 to 2003. He has 373 wickets in test cricket with a brilliant average of 23.56. Younis also has 22 five-wicket hauls and 5 ten-wicket hauls to his name.

3. Matt Henry | 38* Innings

New Zealand’s Matt Henry is potentially two Tests and four innings away from an all-time record of Lillee and Younis after the Kiwi speedster struck in his first over of Zimbabwe’s second innings on the third day of the second Test. Henry dismissed opener Brian Bennett for a duck, and that made it the 38th consecutive innings of him taking at least one wicket.

Since the start of 2024, Henry is now taken 64 wickets at an average of 15.96. No bowler who has taken 60+ wickets during this period, not even Jasprit Bumrah, has maintained a better average. January 3, 2021, in Christchurch (second innings) against Pakistan was the last time Henry failed to take a wicket in an innings in Tests.

Also Read: Most Test Centuries in Cricket History

4. Kagiso Rabada | 38 Innings

Proteas pace ace Kagiso Rabada is the most lethal bowler in Test history. He also has 38 consecutive innings of taking at least one wicket. Rabada (39.1) also holds the record for the best SR in Test cricket history among players with more than 150 Test wickets.

In 71 Tests, Rabada managed to take 336 wickets so far with an average of 21.74. He also has 17 five-wicket hauls and four ten-wicket hauls to his name. 

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has officially released the full schedule of Asia Cup 2025. The tournament will start in UAE from 9 September. A total of eight teams will participate in this tournament divided into two groups and 19 matches will be played in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

At the moment, the Indian team management is busy finalizing a squad that has a balance of experience and youthful enthusiasm. The team will not play any cricket for more than a month at the moment. The long and tiring Test series against England ended on Monday. Now the team's next assignment will be Asia Cup 2025. Now it will be interesting to see which players make it to the team for this tournament.

However, there is no official information yet as to when Team India's squad will be announced. But the team's possible playing XI can be something like this.

Also Read: Asia Cup 2025 date announced; BCCI yet to confirm participation against Pakistan

Surya uncertain to command the Team

The command of the Indian team in the Asia Cup can be in the hands of Suryakumar Yadav, although the regular captain of the T20 team Surya is trying to regain fitness after hernia surgery.

He is training at the National Cricket Academy, there is still uncertainty about his availability. If he does not play, then Hardik Pandya could be the biggest contender for captaincy, while Axar Patel could be his deputy.

India's potential batsmen for Asia Cup 2025

Sanju Samson will be the first choice batsman in Team India's batting department. He scored 285 runs in 9 innings this year, averaging 35, and his place in the team is almost certain. His opening partner will be Abhishek Sharma, who recorded a blistering strike rate of 193 in 14 matches in IPL 2025.

Yashasvi Jaiswal can be kept as a reserve opener, who will be fielded in case of injury or need, while Riyan Parag can also definitely find a place in the team. Tilak Verma is also likely to be in the team.

At the same time, Shreyas Iyer scored 604 runs in 17 matches in the IPL and took Punjab Kings to their second final, which has strengthened his claim. At the same time, Tilak Verma is also almost certain to be in the squad and play all the matches, as he scored 343 runs.

Possible options for wicketkeeper and all-rounder

Even though Sanju Samson is present on the wicketkeeper front, Jitesh Sharma's return as the main wicketkeeper is possible, along with him Dhruv Jurel's name can also be in the list. But between Jurel and Jitesh, the RCB wicketkeeper may have the upper hand as he scored 261 runs in the IPL while playing for RCB and has become a contender to be included in the team again due to his excellent performance.

There can also be a place for Ishan Kishan in the team. His return to the Indian senior team has not been possible for a long time. Recently, he must have caught the attention of the management by performing brilliantly in county cricket.

As an all-rounder, Hardik Pandya is a permanent fixture in the team and it is almost impossible to drop him. Along with him, Washington Sundar is also in contention. Washington Sundar may have proved to be a reliable all-rounder for Team India, but he did not get many opportunities in the IPL. Axar Patel will definitely have a place in the team as the vice-captain.

Bowlers who are most likely to be in the team

In bowling, Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy are certain to be in the team. Along with them, Harshit Rana can also be seen in the team. The return of Kuldeep Yadav is also almost certain, who did not play a single match on the England tour but his selection in the Asia Cup is considered certain.

If Bumrah and Shami are not in the team, then the fast bowling can be led by Mohammed Siraj, along with whom Prasidh Krishna is also a strong option.

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Gill's inclusion uncertain

Shubman Gill is in great form and he scored 650 runs in 15 matches in IPL. His bat also spoke loudly on the England tour. Although there is still a lot of time for the Asia Cup, Gill has been out of India's T20 team for a long time. He played his last match against Sri Lanka on 30 July 2024. 

KL Rahul's selection in batting is also uncertain, while Rishabh Pant is on 6 weeks rest after a toe fracture and it is not clear whether he will be fit in time or not. Apart from this, players like Ravi Bishnoi and Rinku Singh may be out of the team due to poor IPL performance. Bishnoi took only 9 wickets in 11 matches, while Rinku Singh scored 206 runs in 13 matches and weakened his chances.

The biggest concern for Team India is in fast bowling, where Jasprit Bumrah may not play in Asia Cup 2025 due to workload management. Mohammed Shami's fitness is also in question as he is still recovering from injury. Nitish Kumar Reddy can also be dropped from the team. He could neither show any magic in IPL nor could he give any impressive performance on the England tour.

India's probable squad for Asia Cup 2025

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah/Harshit Rana, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jitesh Sharma, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar.