Pataudi Trophy 2021, 5th Test preview: Can England prevent India from a historic series win on its soil?

India and England have reached their final frontier, as they clash for one last time in the fifth Test for the Pataudi Trophy at Old Trafford in Manchester from Friday. With India leading 2-1 and being on the cusp of a historic win, England would look to play spoilsport and save the series, as we present the preview of this Test.

Team composition
India is heavy on its batting, as Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara and skipper Virat Kohli would be the ones to watch out for. However, its middle-order has been somewhat of a concern. As for its bowling, it has been simply phenomenal throughout, with all of them contributing equally, especially pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

For England, it has been a mixed scenario in the series so far. While most of the batting order has been unstable, it relies heavily on skipper Joe Root. While the other batsmen need to step up, the bowling has been commendable by the side, while veteran seamer James Anderson, along with Craig Overton and Ollie Robinson, wreaking havoc on the Indians.

Injury concerns
As for India, Mohammed Shami has been declared fit and is likely to be included in the XI again. Meanwhile, it could also be possible that Bumrah could be rested as a part of workload management. For England, the return of Mark Wood from his shoulder injury would be a boost, and it would be interesting to see if he gets a go-ahead for this Test.

Head-to-head
As for the head-on clashes between the two, England leads with 48 wins of the 129 matches, while India has won 31. In England, of the 65 Tests, England has won 34, while India has won just nine. As for Old Trafford, it has hosted nine Tests between the two, with England winning four and India yet to win.

Weather and pitch report
As for the weather in Manchester, it is not good news for England, with rain predicted until Monday. The temperature is likely to stay between 18-21 degrees, with 86% humidity. As for the track, it happens to be one of the fastest in England and being Anderson's home turf, while the seam would be heavily in effect. However, as the game moves on, it would assist spin, while the cloudy conditions would aid the seamers.

Probable XI
India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav/Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
England: Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Ollie Pope, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes/Mark Wood, Craig Overton, Ollie Robinson and James Anderson.

Fantasy XI
Batsmen: Rohit, Root (c), Rahul- Rohit and Rahul would be the obvious choice as openers for their flawless performance in the series, while Root would lead the side for his consistency and be the perfect fit at number four.
Wicketkeepers: Buttler, Bairstow, Pant- All the three have been in moderate forms throughout the series, and it would be wise to include them here, as they can contribute and come in handy at any point.
All-rounders: Jadeja- The all-rounder has been handy, especially with the bat and can stabilise the innings when needed the most, while his spin can be effective at the latter stages of the Test.
Bowlers: Shami, Bumrah (vc), Siraj, Robinson- Bumrah is a no-brainer here, making him the deputy skipper, while Shami's fitness makes him a must-have on the seaming wickets along with Siraj. Although Anderson would have been in a perfect fit on his home turf, his unstable form makes way for  Robinson.

Match details
Date and day: September 10-14, 2021 (Friday-Tuesday)
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
Time: 3.30 PM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Sony Ten, Sony Six, Sony Ten 3 and Sony Ten 4 (Also available in HD, along with regional languages)
Where to watch (Online): Sony LIV

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