The England Cricket Board (ECB) has announced its squad for the fifth and decisive Test match of the Anderson-Tendulkar series against India. The England team has made one change for this final Test, with fast bowler Jamie Overton included.
IND vs ENG 5th Test: The ongoing 5-match Test series between India and England has reached a critical juncture. The England Cricket Board (ECB) has announced its squad for the fifth and final Test match, to be played at 'The Oval' from July 31st to August 4th. A significant change has been made to the team, with Jamie Overton included.
England is currently leading the series 2-1 and can clinch the series with a win or a draw in the final Test. On the other hand, India must win this match at all costs to level the series.
Jamie Overton Enters England Team
Jamie Overton, 31, is a bowling all-rounder and has been included in the team based on his excellent performance in a recent First-Class match for Surrey. Overton has played only one Test match in his career so far (against New Zealand in 2022), in which he took 2 wickets. If he gets a chance in the playing XI, it will be his first Test match after almost three years.
In addition, he has also played 6 ODIs and 12 T20 international matches for England, in which he has 7 and 11 wickets respectively. Overton's presence can strengthen England's pace attack, especially on the bouncy pitch of The Oval.
England Squad – IND vs ENG 5th Test
Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethel, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, and Chris Woakes.
The team reflects a balance of youth and experience. England's strength has been its fast bowling and aggressive batting, thanks to which it has gained the lead in the series.
Blow to the Indian Team – Pant Out, Jagadeesan Included
The Indian team has suffered a major blow ahead of the fifth Test. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the final Test due to injury. He was hit on his right leg by a Chris Woakes yorker in the fourth Test, after which a scan confirmed a fracture. Although Pant came out to bat the next day and scored a courageous half-century, he is now not fully fit. He has been replaced by Narayan Jagadeesan in the team. It will be interesting to see whether Jagadeesan will get a chance directly in the playing XI or not.
India has played 15 Test matches so far at the Kennington Oval ground in London. Of these, India has won only 2 matches, while 7 matches have been drawn. India has lost the remaining 6 Tests, 5 of which were against England and 1 against Australia. This statistic clearly shows that this ground has been challenging for India, but with the youthfulness in the current team and the strategy of captain Rohit Sharma, India can create history.
