England vs India 2026: 3rd ODI Match Preview

England (ENG) take on India (IND) in the third and final ODI at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on Sunday, July 19.

The Three Lions lost the first ODI by six wickets at Edgbaston, Birmingham. However, they bounced back strongly in the second ODI at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff to register a four-wicket victory. The series is evenly poised at 1-1 and it is all to play for in the series decider on Sunday.

England will rely on Joe Root, who has registered scores of 76* and 99* in the first two matches, to anchor the batting. The likes of Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell will have to take more responsibility at the top of the order. Skipper Harry Brook has also been quiet in the first two games.

However, England’s bowling looks formidable. In the last game, the pacers took nine out of the 10 Indian wickets to fall. Jofra Archer has breathed fire and the likes of Gus Atkinson and Saqib Mahmood offered great support.

Meanwhile, India needs to bat better if they are to win the decider. Rohit Sharma’s form has been an area of major concern. There were reports suggesting that this could be his final appearance in international cricket. However, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has confirmed that the stalwart will continue playing for India even after the series decider. Washington Sundar has been ruled out due to an injury and Kuldeep Yadav could come into the side.

As far as the bowling unit is concerned, the likes of Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna have done well, while Jasprit Bumrah has led the attack commendably. If Kuldeep joins the attack, it would give Shubman Gill a chance to look for wickets through the middle overs, a period where India have faltered in the last two games.

ENG vs IND: Match Details

Lord’s, London: Pitch Report

Seam bowlers are expected to thrive at Lord’s, especially due to the famous slope at the historic venue. There is going to be swing for the pacers when the ball is new. Batters will have to be extra careful in the power play overs. Expect the team batting first to aim for a score of around 280-300.

ENG vs IND: Predicted Playing XIs

England

Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue.

India

Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul/Ishan Kishan (WK), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna.