India Aims for Series Draw Against England in Final Test at The Oval
Final Test Match Preview
The concluding Test between England and India is set to commence on Thursday at The Oval, with Team India, led by Shubman Gill, striving for a series draw. Following a thrilling draw at Old Trafford, where Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar all scored centuries, India enters the match with a psychological edge. England's bowlers faced a tough challenge as Jadeja and Sundar capitalized on their opportunities, leading to a hard-fought draw. Historically, India has struggled at The Oval, securing only two wins against six losses and seven draws.
A significant storyline for this match is the absence of England's captain Ben Stokes, who is sidelined due to a right shoulder muscle injury. In his place, Ollie Pope will take over the captaincy, having previously led the team to three victories and one loss during Stokes' absence last year. England will certainly miss Stokes, known for his ability to turn games around when least expected.
In a pre-match press conference, Stokes expressed his disappointment regarding his injury, stating, "I have a decent tear in one of the muscles I can't pronounce. We took as long as we could to make the decision around that. There is a bit of emotion that goes into this when you find out what you have done." Despite his injury, Stokes is focused on the upcoming Ashes series in November, emphasizing his commitment to winning for England.
Squad Adjustments
With spinner Liam Dawson unavailable and Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse dropped, England will rely on all-rounder Jacob Bethell as a solid spin option batting at number six. They also have strong pace options with Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue returning to the squad. Stokes remarked, "That is the benefit of having a very strong squad. We have some good cricketers to choose from when we find ourselves in a situation like this. We are confident we have the ability to win this game and the series."
Regarding Bethell, who impressed with his strokeplay and three half-centuries against New Zealand last year, Stokes noted, "He is a quality player, and I am confident in his ability. He will slide in at six without changing the batting order." Meanwhile, India is awaiting news on the availability of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the final Test. Bumrah, who has been India's top bowler with 14 wickets in the series, struggled with fitness during the Manchester Test.
Gill mentioned, "We will make a decision tomorrow. The wicket looks pretty green, so we will see how it turns out." The team is also considering Arshdeep Singh, who has experience playing in England and has performed well in the County Championship.
Pre-Match Insights
Gill reflected on the series as a "great learning curve" for him as a captain, asserting that the scoreline does not accurately represent India's performance. "Every match has been competitive, and if we can level the series, it will be a significant achievement for our relatively young team," he stated.
Tensions have escalated following a dispute between Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and pitch curator Lee Fortis regarding practice facilities. Gill commented, "I don't know what exactly happened yesterday. We have played four matches, and no one has tried to stop us from inspecting the pitch. It's common for captains and coaches to inspect the pitch closely, and I don't understand why the curator prevented us from doing so."
As the teams prepare for the match, the question remains: will the controversy affect India's performance and lead them to the victory they seek?
Team Lineups
England's Playing 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.
India's Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Karun Nair, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, N Jagadeesan, Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep.