Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta believes Team India must maintain the same level of consistency in both batting and bowling as they did in the second Test if they are to take the lead in the series when they face England in the third Test at Lord’s starting Thursday.With the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy currently locked at 1-1, the upcoming clash at the iconic London venue promises to be a decisive encounter. India head into the contest with momentum on their side, following a commanding 336-run victory at Edgbaston.“There are three things India must do to win the Lord’s Test. First and foremost — consistency. Yes, they have won the last match and levelled the series, but it is far from over. There are still three Tests to go. The level of consistency we saw in both, batting and bowling, during the second Test – that needs to be repeated,” Dasgupta said while speaking on JioHotstar.
With just three days separating the second and third Tests, Dasgupta underlined the critical need for rest and recovery, particularly for India’s pace attack and captain Shubman Gill, who played two marathon knocks — 269 and 161 — at Edgbaston.
“The second thing is to rest properly, because there isn’t much time between the two Test matches. Recovery is very important — especially for the fast bowlers, and for captain Shubman Gill, who has played two very long innings,” he noted.He also highlighted the challenge of adapting to the Lord’s slope — a unique feature of the venue that runs from the Pavilion End to the Nursery End, with a gradient of around 2.5 meters.“The third thing that is very important at Lord’s is the slope. This is a slightly inexperienced side, and many players will be playing at Lord’s for the first time. For both, the batters and the bowlers, understanding and adjusting to the slope is going to be a big challenge. Let’s hope they find answers to all the challenges and questions,” Dasgupta added.
