London [UK], July 9 : Former Indian wicketkeeper/batter Deep Dasgupta outlined key areas India must focus on to carry forward their momentum after levelling the series at Edgbaston against England.
India and England are all set to clash in the third Test of the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series, starting July 10 at the Home of Cricket, Lord's.
Having won the Edgbaston test with a margin of 336, India will seek to continue the winning momentum in Lord's, where they have lost just one Test in the last three tours. The series is levelled one-one.
"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," JioStar expert Deep Dasgupta said on Jio Hotstar.
"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 added.
Dasgupta highlighted the slope at Lord's as a significant factor, and said that especially for less experienced team players need to understand and adapt to it, which will be a major challenge for both batters and bowlers.
"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," he said.
India created history with a 336-run win over England in the second Test at Birmingham, as they not only secured their first-ever win at Edgbaston but also achieved their biggest Test win away from home in terms of runs.
Indian skipper Shubman Gill sits at the top of the run charts in the series with 585 runs in two Tests, four innings at an average of 146.25 and an attacking strike rate of over 73, with three centuries and a marathon 269 (387 balls) at Edgbaston as his best score.
England seamer Josh Tongue has claimed the most wickets in two tests. In four innings, he has grabbed 11 wickets at an average of 33.63.