One-off Test preview: England v Ireland

There has been plenty of talk around the fast-bowling resources going into this match. Ollie Robinson and James Anderson will be rested, which will afford Josh Tongue an England debut and probably leave Chris Woakes out of the XI. Ireland, meanwhile, are not going to play Josh Little in what they say isn't a pinnacle event.

The hosts can use much of this match to experiment with combinations and tactics ahead of The Ashes. Ben Duckett will likely open the batting alongside Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow will be back in the middle order. Let's see if Dan Lawrence gets into the XI and whether England opt for a specialist spinner in Jack Leach.

Some pundits are calling this fixture pointless, while others believe it has significance in the bigger picture. For Ireland, it's an opportunity in the longest format of the international game, which doesn't come around often for them. For England, it's a chance to show the value of Test cricket in a world more and more beholden to T20 franchise competition.

England and Ireland have a brief head-to-head history in Test cricket. They've met only once, also at Lord's, in 2019, when only half the four innings reached triple figures. England were bowled out for 85 in the first innings and Ireland 38 in their second. England ultimately won by 143 runs inside three days.

That man Harry Brook will be back out in the middle for England. Brook struck four centuries in his first six Tests and recently had an underwhelming maiden Indian Premier League campaign. He hit one century for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and very little else around it.

With Little absent, it's a chance for Graham Hume to shine among Ireland's bowlers. Conditions at Lord's could prove conducive for the seamer, especially if the skies are overcast and the visitors win the toss and opt to bat first. Ireland no longer have Tim Murtagh, as they did back in 2019, but Hume could be an appropriate follow-up here.

There is no rain predicted across the five days of scheduled play, which likely leaves a draw out of the equation. Ireland, whose XI will be understrength, probably won't genuinely challenge England, even if they're missing a few stars of their own.