 "Ben Stokes and Ravindra Jadeja shook hands after Manchester Test end in a draw. AFP")
A day after failing to win the match at Old Trafford , England have released a 15-member squad for the 5th and final Test of the series, which is scheduled to be held at the Oval from 31 July.
The hosts have retained most of the members from the first four Tests, but there is a visible change in the roster. All-rounder Jamie Overton has been added to the unit for the series concluder. Shoaib Bashir, who did not feature in Manchester, was ruled out of the series due to a finger injury.
Overton’s inclusion further strengthens England
The addition of Overton gives away the impression that England does not want to leave any stone unturned and want to avail all the possible options to pick the strongest XI. The hosts will enter the Oval with a 2-1 lead, and hence a draw will be enough to guarantee them a series victory over India.
ENGLAND SQUAD FOR 5TH TEST vs INDIA: Stokes (C), Root, Jofra, Atkinson, Bethell, Brook, Carse, Crawley, Dawson, Duckett, Overton, Pope, Jamie Smith, Tongue, Woakes.
India must get the combination right
Team India seemingly missed out on getting the playing XI right once again in the series in the 4th Test. Anshul Kamboj, who walked into the squad as the replacement for the injured Akash Deep, could not deliver an inspirational spell, leaving experts wondering about the possible reason behind Kuldeep Yadav’s snub.
As Jasprit Bumrah also struggled in the 4th Test, India kept yearning for wickets as England kept mounting runs. Fortunately, the batters summoned the miracles and saved the match by coming good against the massive 311-run trail.
Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the fifth Test due to a fractured toe and Dhruv Jurel could come into the playing XI at The Oval in the last match.
As the series can still be saved, India need to get the selection right in the must-win 5th Test.