NEW DELHI: India and England are set to face off in the fifth and final Test of the series at the Kennington Oval in London, starting Thursday. While England hold a 2-1 lead, India still have a chance to level the series.India will have selection calls to make after an inconsistent outing in Manchester. Despite a strong batting rescue act, the bowling performance was underwhelming. Debutant Anshul Kamboj struggled with pace and control, while the rest of the attack failed to build pressure consistently.
As India look to strengthen their bowling unit, changes are likely. With Rishabh Pant ruled out due to injury, Dhruv Jurel is set to return as the wicketkeeper, a straight swap in the XI.England, meanwhile, will be disappointed not to have sealed the series in Manchester after dominating large parts of the game. A key area of concern for them will be their fast bowling rotation. Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes have both played all four Tests so far, and with workload management in mind, England may opt for fresh legs in the final game.
The hosts have also been dealt a major blow with captain Ben Stokes ruled out of the fifth Test due to a shoulder injury. In his absence, Ollie Pope will lead the side, and England have announced four changes to their playing XI. The England selection panel announced the team changes on Wednesday, which include the introduction of Jacob Bethell, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue to the side.India’s Predicted XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep SinghEngland’s XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue
