Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has speculated that the third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy may not stretch over the full five days if the pitch remains as green as the initial images suggest. He also noted, however, that the pitch may not offer the same level of assistance to the seamers throughout the game.

The third Test between India and England is scheduled to take place at Lord’s from Thursday, 10 July. Following their five-wicket loss in the first Test, India responded strongly, winning the second Test by 336 runs on a pitch that favoured batting. The hosts are expected to be hoping for more help for their seamers at Lord’s.

In a video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra commented that if the pitch is prepared with the requested amount of grass, as per England head coach Brendon McCullum’s instructions, the third Test may not go the distance of five days. However, Chopra was unsure whether the pitch would continue to assist the bowlers as the game progressed.

“Who will gain from the pitch we’ve observed? They’re aiming for a pitch with a bit of a greenish hue. Brendon McCullum requested the curator to create a surface with some bounce, life, and lateral movement. We’re perfectly fine with that,” Chopra stated (8:00).

“I think it will be an exciting match because we’re now tied at 1-1, and as usual, England have started to offer a few excuses. From the first visuals I’ve seen, it doesn’t look like this will be a five-day Test. However, in the end, a pitch will play according to its nature,” he added.

Chopra also recalled the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which was held at Lord’s. He pointed out that during that match, the pitch became slower and lower as the game unfolded, with little lateral movement after the opening sessions.