India suffered a huge setback ahead of the series-deciding third ODI against England at Lord's on July 19, 2026, as captain Shubman Gill confirmed that premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah would not feature in the must-win encounter. The announcement came during the live toss after England elected to bowl first, leaving India without their biggest pace weapon for the decisive clash. Bumrah's absence is a significant blow considering the immense control and consistency he brought to India's bowling attack throughout the series, making the visitors' task considerably more challenging.

Explaining the change in the playing XI, Gill revealed, "Boom misses out, he's unavailable due to some knee injury." Shortly afterwards, the BCCI issued an official statement clarifying the nature of the setback. "Jasprit Bumrah had an impact injury on his left knee while fielding in the second ODI in Cardiff. He was not available for selection for the third ODI due to reactive swelling in his left knee," the board stated.

Bumrah had once again underlined his value during the first two matches of the three-game series. In the opening ODI at Edgbaston, he produced a superbly disciplined spell, restricting England's top order with relentless accuracy and helping India take a 1-0 lead. Even in the second ODI at Cardiff, where England levelled the series, Bumrah remained India's standout bowler.

Across both matches, he maintained an outstanding economy rate below four runs per over, strangled England's scoring during the powerplay, and executed his trademark yorkers at the death. Replacing that level of control and experience in a winner-takes-all contest is an enormous challenge for Gill and his side.

Shubman Gill explains Arshdeep Singh's inclusion in 3rd ODI

At the toss for the third ODI, India's captain Shubman Gill addressed the crucial inclusion of Arshdeep Singh and analyzed the shortcomings that led to their defeat in the second match. When discussing the tactical rationale behind selecting the left-arm pacer, Gill highlighted a clear shift away from pure analytical data in favor of ground conditions.

He shared his view on the selection by stating, "We're not the one who relies on stats so much. We think he's a great bowler, and we were looking for four seamers on this ground. We have seen in the middle overs, spinners don't really offer much as compared to the fast bowlers."

The strategic adjustment has aimed to maximize the pace-friendly conditions by stacking the bowling unit with four dedicated seamers. Reflecting on India's defeat in the second ODI, Gill noted that the loss was triggered by a collapse after a strong start, explaining, "I think we were in a great position up until the 25 overs of the match, and then we lost too many wickets in the middle overs, end of the middle overs. So hopefully, if you're in that kind of position, we post a good total close to 280-300."

Here's the playing XI for both the teams:

India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna.

England Playing XI: Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Butler (wk), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, and Josh Tongue.