LONDON: The last Test played at Lord’s — the World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa last month — could provide a sneak peek into the upcoming contest between India and England, scheduled to begin on Thursday.

Held last month, the match saw 28 wickets fall in the first couple of days after South Africa captain Temba Bavuma invited Australia to bat. However, as the match progressed, the surface became ideal for batting as the Proteas chased down a target of 282.

The script is unlikely to change for the India-England encounter with the strip expected to aid bowlers in the beginning before helping batters in the due course of time. With Jofra Archer back in the mix, it would only be ideal for the hosts to lay out a pitch with plenty of life in it. Their coach Brendon McCullum didn’t shy away from accepting the fact and said the contest could be a cracker, especially if there is plenty of life in the pitch.

It will also be a deviation from England’s tried and tested strategy of offering batting-friendly wickets, which complement their recent style of play. Though they succeeded with it at Leeds in the first Test, the plan backfired in Edgbaston with Indian skipper Shubman Gill scoring twin centuries including a double ton. After Gill’s double ton, the Indian pacers excelled with the ball despite not much assistance from the wicket. What made life difficult for the hosts was the mediocre show from their own pacers, including the leader of the pack Chris Woakes.

With the reports of the wicket here in London offering more help to the bowlers, India vice-captain Rishabh Pant was asked whether they forced their opponents to change their plans. “See, as a team, generally, what we plan is to play according to the conditions given to us,” he told reporters in the pre-match press conference on Wednesday.

Pant, who also slammed two centuries in the first match in a losing cause and then hit a half-century in the second essay in the next match, however, said they are not bothered by their the hosts’ plans. “We don’t want to think about what the opposition is thinking, whether they are changing their plans or not. Whatever they’re doing, we’ll do our best and do better from there. Simple.”