England vs India: 3 changes India might make for 5th Test

Team India showed great fightback in Manchester to ensure a draw in the fourth Test. Now, still trailing 1-2 in the series, the visitors are heading to The Oval for the final Test. With the aim of winning the match and levelling the series 2-2, Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir might have to make some bold decisions, as a few changes seem to be on the cards.

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Here are the three changes that India might make for the fifth Test at the Oval

1. Dhruv Jurel in place of Rishabh Pant

Team India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the final Test match due to a foot injury that he sustained during the Manchester Test. As a result, Dhruv Jurel is most likely to be included in the playing XI as the designated wicketkeeper-batter.

Pant did bat in the last match at Old Trafford, but it was Jurel who kept wickets throughout the game. Even during the third Test at Lord’s, Jurel had taken over wicketkeeping duties after Pant suffered a finger injury.

Pant has been in exceptional form with the bat in this series, scoring 479 runs in seven innings at an impressive average of 68.42, which includes three fifties and two centuries. He is currently the third-highest run-scorer in the series, making his absence a major blow for India.  

2. Prasidh Krishna in place of Jasprit Bumrah

Before the series began, the team management had already stated that star pacer Jasprit Bumrah was most likely to play any three of the five Test matches. Following that plan, Bumrah has already featured in three games — at Leeds, Lord’s, and Manchester.

In the Manchester Test, he showed signs of discomfort in his ankle and did not appear to be at his best. His average pace has also dropped as the series has progressed. With just three days’ gap before the final Test at The Oval, questions remain over his fitness and workload.

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If Team India decide to manage his workload and rest him for the final Test, Prasidh Krishna is the most likely candidate to replace him in the playing XI. However, Krishna has played two Tests in the series so far and hasn’t made a significant impact. He has picked up just six wickets in four innings at an average of 55.16, and has conceded runs at a high economy rate of 5.33.

3.Kuldeep Yadav in place of Anshul Kamboj

Anshul Kamboj had a difficult debut in Manchester, managing to pick up only one wicket while conceding 89 runs in his 18 overs. Even the average pace at which he bowled raised questions among fans and cricket experts about whether he was fully fit.

Given that, there is now a possibility that the team management might include spinner Kuldeep Yadav in place of Kamboj for the final Test. Kuldeep is yet to feature in this series, and many cricket experts around the world have been urging his inclusion since the start, believing he could be a game-changer in the current England conditions.

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