'What's the story?' - Returning Archer & Bumrah headline Lord's Test

Jofra Archer will play his first Test since February 2021

During the recording of (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, the Gallagher brothers had one of their bigger rows. Noel swung a cricket bat at Liam.

Paul McGuigan was the Oasis bassist at the time. He's a huge cricket fan.

The biggest comebacks of the summer are happening all at once. Last week it was Oasis in Cardiff, this week Jofra Archer at Lord's, scene of his champagne super over in the 2019 World Cup final and felling of Steve Smith on Test debut. He was electric.

Archer's return to play in the third Test against India on Thursday is remarkable. More than four years away, his career threatened by back and elbow injuries. The last time he played a Test in this country was in the Covid bubble. The last time he played a Test in front of a home crowd was that debut summer six years ago.

The fans have not forgotten. When Archer was 12th man during the second Test at Edgbaston, an appearance to run the drinks brought one of the loudest cheers of the week from the Hollies Stand.

"He absolutely loved it," said England captain Ben Stokes. "He had no idea what to do. He went around once, and went back round again."

For Archer, one of the most complete fast bowlers to play for England in decades, perhaps expectations should be managed. He has bowled only 18 competitive overs with a red ball in the run-up to this.

But what is the point of sport if excitement is not allowed? Hopes, dreams and heroes get us believing a Briton can reach the second week of Wimbledon or Stoke City might avoid a relegation battle this season. It will be the same with Archer, believing he can be the same exhilarating bowler of 2019.

A further frisson came from the sight of Mark Wood training with England at Lord's on Wednesday, stepping up his comeback from a knee injury. There was an embrace between Archer and Wood, a glimpse to a partnership that could reunite for the final Test at The Oval, or this winter in Australia.

Archer's inclusion in place of Josh Tongue boosts an England attack that looked to be on life support at Edgbaston. If anything, only one change is a surprise, but Stokes is adamant Brydon Carse's battered feet are good to go and Chris Woakes' record here is so good they should re-name the ground after him.

There will be attention on conditions, balls and the pitch. Last week, Stokes said the Edgbaston surface was subcontinental, which was understandable given it has barely rained this summer. Still, 18 England wickets fell to India's excellent seamers.

From a distance, there looks to be more grass on the Lord's pitch, though that will be baked in temperatures forecast to be above 30 degrees. Both teams have complained about the Dukes balls going soft, which led Stokes to question the brand of rings used by umpires to test the roundness. It later transpired they are standard issue from the International Cricket Council.

If the predicted heatwave does arrive on Thursday, then there will much intrigue around the toss, especially if Shubman Gill calls incorrectly. Stokes, who loves a chase as much as a dog running after a car, admitted he would be looking to bat first.

A captain makes hundreds of decisions during a Test, but not many as important or scrutinised as closely as the toss.

Stokes chose to field first at Headingley and England won. Stokes chose to field first at Edgbaston and England lost. On both occasions, Shubman said he would have bowled, too. You will have your own opinion whether or not a toss decision is vindicated by the result of the match.

Despite his history in home Tests, Stokes stressed he was "not stuck in his ways" and it is not a "tactic to consistently bowl first".

"When I get the whites out with the blazer on, I look up to the sky more than anything. It's not rocket science," he said.

"I'm not the Met Office, so I can't tell what's going to happen afterwards.

"Because we've had good success at chasing down totals in the fourth innings, it doesn't mean that's our preference."

Such is the brutal nature of Test cricket, a heavy defeat like Edgbaston can open old wounds that were otherwise thought to have healed.

In fact, after Birmingham, it can be argued the questions that hung over England at the beginning of the summer still remain: Zak Crawley's charmed life at the top of the order, Ollie Pope's feast or famine at number three, the Shoaib Bashir project, how the pace bowlers take wickets on flat pitches.

For India, the jubilation of their first win in Birmingham has carried to London. The entire squad was at the YWC gala on Wednesday held in honour of former batter Yuvraj Singh's cancer charity.

Shubman and coach Gautam Gambhir took the stage together to hand out 'awards' to the squad. The fearsome Gambhir cracked a smile. Rishabh Pant was revealed as the man always late for the team bus, Ravindra Jadeja the best beard, Shubman as best dressed.

It took India nine attempts to secure a first win at Edgbaston and their record at Lord's is almost as bad; only three wins in 19 visits, though two have come since 2014.

The majority of the India team that take the field on Thursday will be playing a Test in St John's Wood for the first time. Shubman, in the form of his life, has played here once before, for Glamorgan against Middlesex in 2022. He was bowled by Toby Roland-Jones for 22 and caught off Tim Murtagh for 11. Maybe England need some honest county seamers in their XI.

Jasprit Bumrah has played one Test here, picking up three wickets in India's win four years ago. His return after being rested at Edgbaston could have him joining Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep to form an extremely potent trio.

In the gala on Wednesday, Bumrah was given an award for 'best comeback' after his back injury, but his return pales in comparison to what Archer has been through.

Now, two of the game's most exciting fast bowlers line up against each other at the grandest cricket ground on the planet with a thrilling series perfectly poised at 1-1.

What's the story?