London : The fifth and final Test between India and England kicks off today at The Oval from 3:30 PM IST. India will look to level the series 2-2 and share the prestigious Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The onus will be on captain and in-form batter Shubman Gill, who has scored the most runs in the series (722), along with K.L. Rahul, Washington Sundar, and Ravindra Jadeja to rise to the occasion.
India had won the second Test at Edgbaston, while the fourth Test at Old Trafford was drawn thanks to heroic centuries from Jadeja and Washington, keeping the series alive at 1-2. However, Jasprit Bumrah will miss this match due to workload management.
The Pitch & Conditions
The Oval pitch had a tinge of green as of Wednesday evening, but changes are expected within 24 hours. Weather could play spoilsport, with rain predicted today.
The Oval is a stronghold for England — India have only won two out of 15 Tests here (in 1971 and 2021). India also suffered a defeat at this venue in the 2023 World Test Championship Final against Australia. The team will now seek redemption and a historic win.
Major Setback for England: No Ben Stokes
England captain and all-rounder Ben Stokes is ruled out of the final Test due to a Grade 3 tear in his shoulder. Ollie Pope will lead the team in his absence. Stokes’ unavailability is a major blow, as he is the leading wicket-taker in the series with 17 wickets. Ironically, India’s leading wicket-taker Jasprit Bumrah (14 wickets) is also unavailable for this Test.
Probable Playing XIs:
India (Likely XI):
Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, K.L. Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh / Kuldeep Yadav / Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
England (XI):
Ollie Pope (Captain), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue.
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