London, July 30 (UNI) The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy reaches a dramatic climax as India face a must-win situation in the fifth and final Test against England, starting tomorrow at the Kennington Oval.
With the hosts holding a 2-1 lead, a draw or win will secure the series for England, while India must win to level it 2-2.
The pressure is squarely on the visitors, but they will draw confidence from their valiant performance in the fourth Test at Manchester. After conceding a daunting 669 in the first innings, India clawed their way back with centuries from Shubman Gill (103), Ravindra Jadeja (107*), Washington Sundar (101*), and a crucial 90 from KL Rahul. Their fightback ensured a draw and kept the series alive.
India’s track record at The Oval doesn’t offer much comfort—only two wins in 15 appearances. But in this campaign, key players have delivered consistently. Captain Shubman Gill leads the run charts with a staggering 722 runs in eight innings at an average of 101.6, while KL Rahul has been steady with 511 runs at 64.
India are expected to make changes to their playing XI. With Rishabh Pant ruled out due to injury, Dhruv Jurel is set to take over wicketkeeping duties. The team may also rest Jasprit Bumrah to manage workload, possibly bringing in left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh. Kuldeep Yadav could be favoured over Shardul Thakur if spin is expected to play a larger role.
England, meanwhile, have shown control for much of the series. Jamie Smith has been their surprise package with 424 runs down the order, while Joe Root (403 runs) and Harry Brook have ensured middle-order stability. In the bowling department, Ben Stokes leads with 17 wickets and has also contributed heavily with the bat. Jofra Archer’s sharp spells have added teeth to the pace unit.
Chris Woakes, who has featured in all four Tests, might be replaced by Jamie Overton as England look to manage fatigue in their bowling ranks.
The Kennington Oval surface tends to favour batamen from Day 2 onwards, though the opening morning could see some early swing. The average first-innings score here is around 345, while fourth-innings totals dip to 210, making the toss crucial. Weather forecasts indicate clouds and possible showers on Day 1, but the rest of the match should see clearer skies with sporadic rain on Day 4.
England Probable XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes / Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer
India Probable XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj
With everything on the line, both teams will come out firing. England have the comfort of a lead and home conditions, but India’s resilience and form from the last Test make this a fiercely anticipated contest. A thrilling finale awaits at The Oval as two proud cricketing nations battle for supremacy.
