The fifth and last Test of the thrilling IND vs ENG series is underway at London’s historic Kennington Oval. With England 2-1 ahead in the series, the onus is on Team India skipper Shubman Gill to register a victory and make the series 2-2.
IND vs ENG: Toss Update and Match Conditions
Following his bad luck, Shubman Gill lost another toss in this Test match. England skipper Ollie Pope, who is leading the team in the absence of regular captain Ben Stokes, won the toss and chose to bowl first. With the London weather conditions being cloudy and overcast presently, the seamers are likely to receive significant help from the surface initially.
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The gloomy sky and chilly weather at The Oval made bowling first a straightforward option, since swing and seam movement are bound to be the order of the day early on.
India Aims to End Series on a High Note
While the series cannot be won by India, since they are behind 1-2, winning at The Oval would see them draw the series and leave the country with a morale-boosting outcome. Under Shubman Gill’s comparatively new leadership, India has been playing with fantastic spirit throughout the series.
After narrow defeats at Lord’s and Leeds, the visitors responded in Birmingham with a massive 336-run victory and were able to resist in Manchester, escaping defeat in difficult conditions.
Playing XI of India and England – 5th Test at The Oval
India’s Playing XI:
Yashasvi Jaiswal
KL Rahul
Sai Sudarshan
Shubman Gill (Captain)
Karun Nair
Ravindra Jadeja
Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper)
Washington Sundar
Anshul Kamboj
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Prasidh Krishna
Mohammed Siraj
England’s Playing XI:
Jack Crawley
Ben Duckett
Ollie Pope (Captain)
Joe Root
Harry Brook
Jacob Bethell
Jamie Smith (Wicketkeeper)
Chris Woakes
gus atkinson
Jamie Overton
Josh Tongue
London Weather and How It Will Affect the IND vs ENG Final Test
The weather in London has been the subject of conversation throughout this series, and it is still affecting match strategy. Grey skies and predicted rain in the first days of the match are expected to help fast bowlers. This is one of the major reasons why England decided to bowl first after the toss.
Weather forecasts suggest further interruptions may be possible during the Test match, making it even more crucial for both sides to capitalize on every session of play.
A Must-Win Game for Team India
As the IND vs ENG series concludes, India’s mind is made up on balancing the series. With team combinations and playing conditions now in place, everything will rely on how the batters will cope with the swing-friendly conditions and if the Indian bowlers can reciprocate.
ALSO READ: Shubman Gill To Break Sunil Gavaskar’s 47-Year-Old Record In Oval Test
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