England vs India: Who will ace decider at The Oval?
What's the story
The gureling five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is approaching its business end. England and India are set to lock horns in the 5th and final Test at London's iconic Kennington Oval from July 31. The hosts lead the five-match series 2-1 after winning at Headingley and Lord's. Meanwhile, the Shubman Gill-led Team India exhibited uncanny resistance to draw the Old Trafford Test. Amid all thrills and frills, who will ace the series decider at The Oval?
Details
Pitch report and conditions
The pitch at The Oval is known to offer batters some assistance compared to other grounds. While the deck aids seamers in the first hour, it becomes flat as the match progresses. The final two days bring spinners into play, with the advent of cracks. The average first-innings score at this venue is around 340. Notably, Day 1 and 4 of the impending Test could see some spells of showers. The fifth day will likely be bright and sunny.
Record
Overall head-to-head record
Overall, England and India have faced each other in 140 Tests since their first encounter in 1932. Out of these, India have won 36 matches while England emerged victorious in 53. The remaining 51 matches have been drawn. On English soil, the two teams have played 71 matches, with India winning 10 and losing on 38 occasions.
Record
How England and India have fared at The Oval
Between 1936 and 2023, India have played 15 Tests at The Oval, as per ESPNcricinfo. The visitors have won two and lost six matches here, with seven games ending in draws. Notably, India's wins at this venue came in 1971 and 2021, under Ajit Wadekar and Virat Kohli respectively. Meanwhile, England have played 106 Tests at The Oval. The hosts have won 45 and lost 24 matches here, with 37 games ending in draws.
Do you know?
Second-highest total in Test history
Only two teams have crossed the 900-run mark in Test history. England were the first to do so in the 1938 Oval Test against Australia. They racked up 903/7d, the second-highest total in Test cricket, as per ESPNcricinfo.
India
India XI to see changes
India's combination is expected to see several changes, with Jasprit Bumrah set to miss the Oval Test. Since all pacers have recovered from their injuries, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh are expected to replace Bumrah and Anshul Kamboj respectively. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav is likely to feature in place of all-rounder Shardul Thakur. Dhruv Jurel will come in as the injured Risabh Pant's like-for-like replacement.
Information
India's likely XI for 5th Test
India's Probable XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep, and Mohammed Siraj.
England
England announce XI; Stokes ruled out
England have already announced their Playing XI. In a major blow, skipper Ben Stokes have been ruled out with a shoulder injury. While Pope will take over from Stokes, England have rested bowlers Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, and Liam Dawson. England's XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wicket-keeper), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue.
Stats
Notable stats and milestones approaching
Stokes was the Player of the Match at Lord's and Old Trafford. He finished with 304 runs and 17 wickets. Similarly, Pant bowed out with a record 479 runs at 68.43 (2 tons and 3 half-centuries). At The Oval, Gill could go past legend Donald Bradman in terms of most runs in debut Test series as captain. He requires 89 runs. Gill could also equal Clyde Walcott's record for most tons in a Test series (5).
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