India will attempt to tie the series with a win in the fifth and final Test against England at The Oval in London, which begins on Thursday, July 31. After batting more than five sessions and drawing the fourth Test, India will be confident in their chances of victory at The Oval. The series is intriguingly poised, with England ahead 2-1.
According to sources, India will select an additional batter in Karun Nair for the crucial final Test of the India-England series.
He is expected to replace all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who played the fourth Test. Anshul Kamboj and Jasprit Bumrah will be replaced in seam bowling by Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna. While Kamboj failed to impress on debut in the fourth Test, Bumrah may be given a break as the management attempts to control his workload.
Deep missed the fourth Test due to injury, while Krishna’s poor performance in the first two Tests kept him out of the team. Mohammed Siraj will continue to spearhead the bowling attack. He will play his fifth Test for the trip.
Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel will replace injured wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who has a fracture in his right foot and will miss the series.
If India proceeds with this combination, wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh will go the entire tour without playing a game. With the pitch covered in grass, Kuldeep once again failed to make an impact. That is also why India reinforced their batting lineup.
Incidentally, India’s only win in this series came in the Test match which Bumrah did not play – Second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Deep and Siraj stole the show with the ball in that clash, picking up 10 and seven wickets, respectively. Indian fans will be hoping for another heroic effort from the duo in the absence of Bumrah. Krishna will also have to provide them with good support.
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