Overview:
The 5-match Anderson-Tendulkar series is currently led by the hosts 2-1. India need a win in the 5th Test to level the series.
England and India gear up for the 5th Test, starting July 31 at The Oval Cricket Ground, also known as Kennington Oval in London. The 5-match Anderson-Tendulkar series is currently led by the hosts 2-1. India need a win in the 5th Test to level the series. A draw or loss would help England claim the honours. After going down at Headingley, Leeds, by 5 wickets, Team India bounced back in style, downing England by 336 runs at Edgbaston, Birmingham. The third Test saw both sides remain in the hunt before India went down narrowly by 22 runs, failing to chase a target of 193. At Old Trafford in Manchester, a valiant Indian side forced a draw against England to keep their hopes alive.
India will be taking a call on Jasprit Bumrah. He has played three Tests out of the 4 and keeping his workload in mind, a decision will be made. Notably, pacers Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh have recovered from their respective injuries. Both players are available. If Bumrah plays, India will opt for Siraj and Akash Deep alongside him. If Bumrah sits out, one between Prasidh Krishna or Arshdeep will come in. India could also fit three spinners in. This means Kuldeep Yadav may finally get a game, meaning Shardul Thakur will sit out. India will have another change in the form of Dhruv Jurel coming in for injured Rishabh Pant, who fractured his toe.
For England, they will have a few decisions to make regarding their bowling personnel. England, who added Jamie Overton to the squad for the 5th Test, could hand a rest to Brydon Carse and bring in Gus Atkinson. Chris Woakes could also be rested, and one between Josh Tongue or Sam Cook could come in. It remains to be seen whether England get in Jacob Bethell as the main spinner instead of the ineffective Liam Dawson in Manchester.
The two teams have met 140 times in Tests. England have won 53 games to India’s 37. Another 51 matches have been drawn. In 71 matches on English soil, England have claimed 38 wins with India claiming 10 victories. 23 games have been drawn. As per ESPNcricinfo, the two teams have met 14 times at The Oval. England have won 5 games with another 7 being drawn. India have claimed two wins here.
England probable playing XI for 5th Test
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Jacob Bethell, Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer.
India probable playing XI for 5th Test
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
At this point, both sides are equally placed with not much to separate them. India have to find the cutting edge and to be fair they have played well in the series. Shubman Gill’s men will look to be confident and get the win.
Here are the key details of the stadium and pitch report details.
The Oval Cricket Ground: Location & Key Details of the Stadium
As mentioned, The Oval Cricket Ground is located in London, England. Established in the year 1845, the stadium can host around 23500 spectators. Surrey use The Oval Cricket Ground as their home venue. The stadium hosted the first ever Test on English soil with England beating the Aussies. In 1907, South Africa became the 2nd visiting team to play at this stadium, followed by the West Indies in 1928. In August 2006, a match between England and Pakistan was forfeited.
What is the Pitch Like at The Oval Cricket Ground, Manchester?
Historically, the surface here starts flat but deteriorates over the next days. Spinners will have a say in the final two days. Pacers will get seam movement and purchase with the new ball. Overall, it’s another track that will assist batters at large. As mentioned, spinners come into play later as cracks widen and the bounce becomes uneven. Fast bowlers need to stay patient and bowl consistently in the right channels.
The surface here will once again be of help to batters in terms of scoring runs once set. So both sides will enjoy batting. It will take consistency and work for the bowlers to come good.
Key Stats & Records at The Oval Cricket Ground, London
England hold the highest team total here at this venue, posting 903/7d versus Australia in 1934. India’s best score here is 664 in 2007.
In terms of the lowest team totals, Australia’s score of 44 in 1896 is the worst here. England are next with a low score of 52 versus Australia in 1948. India’s lowest total here is 94 against England in 2014.
As per ESPNcricinfo, the average run rate for teams batting first at The Oval is 2.91 from 107 games. Teams batting first here have won 40 times in addition to losing 30. 37 games have been drawn.
Meanwhile, the average run rate for teams batting 2nd here is also 2.91.
Among active batters, Joe Root owns 793 runs here at 41.73 with the help of 2 tons and 4 fifties. Ollie Pope has fared well here, scoring 322 runs from three Tests at 64.40 with one ton and 2 fifties clobbered.
Among active bowlers, Chris Woakes owns 26 wickets here at just 25.23. In six matches, Ben Stokes has 12 wickets here at 30-plus.
ENG vs IND: Weather Forecast – Will Rain Play a Role?
According to the weather forecast, the weather in London, Day 1, will be partly cloudy with a few afternoon showers. Day 2 will be on the sunnier side with a full day’s play expected. Day 3 will be clear and pleasant. Day 4 is likely to have spells of rain. Day 5 will have long periods of sunshine, so another full day’s play will be possible.
ENG vs IND: Pitch Advantage for Which Side?
Both sides’ batting unit will enjoy the surface here. Both sides have depth in batting and whoever wins the toss and bats first will hold a slight advantage.
England have won just 2 of their last 5 Test matches here at this venue. The three defeats have been against Sri Lanka in 2024, Australia in 2023 and India in 2021.
FAQs – Pitch Report for The Oval Cricket Ground
What is the pitch report for The Oval Cricket Ground for today’s match?
The surface here will once again be of help to batters in terms of scoring runs once set. So both sides will enjoy batting. It will take consistency and work for the bowlers to come good. Spinners will come in on the final days.
Who has the better record between England and India at The Oval Cricket Ground?
As per ESPNcricinfo, the two teams have met 14 times at The Oval. England have won 5 games with another 7 being drawn. India have claimed two wins here.