ENG vs IND, 5th Test: 5 Things Team India Needs to Fix Ahead of Series Decider at The Oval

Team India faces crucial decisions ahead of the Oval Test against England. With Rishabh Pant injured, bowling inconsistencies, and batting position uncertainties, the team must address key areas to level the series.

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Things India needs to fix ahead of The Oval Test

Team India will face England in the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval in London, which will start on July 31.

The five-match Test series is currently at 2-1 in favour of England, with India needing a win to level the series at Old Trafford. The fourth Test ended in a draw after Team India put up a resilient second-innings batting performance. Ravindra Jadeja (107*), Shubman Gill (103), Washington Sundar (101*), and KL Rahul (90) guided the visitors to 425/4 from 2/0 and took a 114-run lead before agreeing to a draw.

As the Oval Test is set to take place on Thursday, let’s take a look at five things Team India needs to fix.

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1. Rishabh Pant’s Replacement

Rishabh Pant has been officially ruled out of the Oval Test with a fractured toe sustained on Day 3 of the Manchester Test while attempting for reverse sweep off Chris Woakes’s yorker delivery and retired hurt on 37. However, Pant walked in to bat with an injured foot and played a gritty innings of 54 off 75 balls before he was dismissed by Jofra Archer.

Since Pant would not be available for the final Test, Team India management needs to find a wicketkeeper-batter who can fill in Rishabh Pant’s shoes. The selection will be Dhruv Jurel and N Jagadeeshan, who replaced Pant in the squad. Jurel is still raw at international, while Jagadeeshan has not yet gained international experience since he received maiden Test call-up.

Team management must weigh in on experience, temperament, and match-readiness before making the final call.

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2. Bowling Woes

Team India’s bowling was not up to par, with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar conceding over 100 runs in their respective spells in the first innings. Jadeja conceded the most, with 143 runs, but picked four wickets. India’s bowling was criticised by fans and experts as England batters dominated the first innings with minimal resistance and exposing a lack of penetration.

Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane raised concerns over India’s bowling unit, stating that they lacked enough support in the Manchester Test. Ahead of the Oval Test, Team India needs to fix their bowling woes by reassessing their bowling attack combination, considering form and conditions, and possibly bringing in fresh legs or a specialist seamer.

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3. Managing Jasprit Bumrah’s Workload

There is an uncertainty over Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in the fifth and final Test of the series to manage his workload. Ahead of the Test series, it was decided that the pace spearhead would play only three Tests of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, and he has already featured at Headingley, Lord’s, and Old Trafford. After the Manchester Test, Gautam Gambhir stated that there had been no discussion on Bumrah’s participation in the Oval Test.

With the series on the line, with India trailing 1-2 and aiming to level the series, the team management may be tempted to include Jasprit Bumrah in the playing XI for the Oval Test. However, they must balance the risk of burnout or injury against the need for his experience and skill in red-ball cricket.

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4. Reassessing No.3 Slot

The No.3 batting spot has been a conundrum since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year in Australia. In the ongoing Test series against England, Team India tried two batters, Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair, but neither has managed to cement the position with impactful performances. In the Headingley Test, Sudharsan scored 0 and 30 in two innings, and he was replaced by Karun Nair at the No.3 spot, but did not deliver his best as his scores read: 31, 26, 40, and 14 in the next four innings.

In the Manchester Test, Sudharsan scored 61 in the first innings, but was dismissed for a golden duck in the second innings. This inconsistency has left the team management in a dilemma ahead of the Oval Test, whether to back Sai Sudharsan or bring back Karun Nair for another chance. With the series on the line, India cannot afford repeated failures at such a pivotal position in the batting order.

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5. Fielding placements

One of the major issues for India throughout the England series thus far has been their inconsistent fielding placements, especially during key phases of the opposition’s innings. This was evident during the Manchester Test, where Indian bowlers often lacked support from strategically positioned fielders, despite erratic bowling.

Shubman Gill came under fire when he set up too many defensive fielding placements during England’s counterattack, allowing easy singles and releasing pressure. Heading into the Oval Test, Team India captain Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir must assess their field setups, be more proactive in attacking phases, and ensure sharper coordination between bowlers and fielders.