Image: The dynamics of the India tour of England have suddenly shifted / © ESPNcricinfo
The four Test matches of the current Test series between India and England have been a thriller. Every match holds its own stories where both teams converted the opportunities to secure wins in the games. Whether it was India’s historic win at Headingley or England’s sheer dominance in the first match, the series is held equal for both teams.
England had a dominant start in the first match, defeating India as they chased down the massive target. Following this, India staged a comeback in the second Test at Headingley to defeat England for the first time at this ground. Both of these matches were thrilling and had put the fans on the edge of their seats.
In the third Test, which was played at Lord’s, India gave its best to win the match, but England won it by a mere margin of 22 runs. After England had taken a lead in the series, the team once again held the upper hand in the fourth Test, which was played at Old Trafford. However, India showcased a fight to end the game with a draw.
Now, India’s fate will be decided in the final Test, where they will aim for a win to draw the series. Still, there are some major changes in the line-up, which might take place in the upcoming match. Let’s take a look at the best playing XI, which could help India to win the final Test and draw the series.
India’s top order batting line-up was able to deliver consistently across both innings in the previous match, which shows that there are no such changes required in the same.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who didn’t look in good form during the third Test, now seems to have regained his momentum in the fourth Test. He started well and eventually managed to score a half-century in the first innings of the game. This made him the first Indian opener in a long time to score a half-century at Old Trafford.
Jaiswal has dominated in his first tour of England, having scored 291 runs in 8 innings at an average of 36.37, with a century and two half-centuries. With the final Test being at the Oval, he will be eager to end the series on a positive note and possibly score more runs in the game.
KL Rahul, or should we call him Mr. Consistent for the Indian team, because he has delivered in every game. In this series, fans have seen a new phase of KL Rahul, as he has troubled almost every English bowler. He scored 46 and 90 runs respectively in the fourth Test, playing a vital knock yet again.
In all four matches that have been played in this series, his big knocks have been the key to India’s batting line-up. Till now, Rahul has scored 511 runs in 4 matches at an average of 63.87, with 2 centuries and 2 half-centuries. Moreover, his average stands at 63.87 in this series.
Sai Sudharsan, who made his debut in the first match of the series, also marked his comeback in the fourth Test. Coming in at the number three spot in his debut game, he was not able to perform well and eventually dropped off, with Karun Nair replacing him. But this decision must’ve backfired for the Indian cricket team, as Nair was not able to provide some big scores.
This eventually led to Sai Sudharsan making his comeback to the team in the fourth Test, where he smashed 61 runs in the first innings, in the tough conditions. Although he was not able to score runs in the second innings, his confidence levels have been boosted, and now it seems that India has found the perfect batsman to solve its number 3 problem.
When it comes to the team’s middle order, they need a forced change, as Rishabh Pant fractured his foot in the previous match.
The number four spot for the Indian line-up has been sealed in the Test format, with Shubman Gill, the captain, taking his helm. Although he was not able to perform well in the Lord’s Test, his bat was able to shine in the previous Test match. Now, he holds the second spot in the record of most runs by an Indian captain in a single Test series in England.
In 4 Test matches, he has scored 722 runs at an average of 90.25, with 4 centuries. He would be eager to perform well for the team and lead from the front in the final and most important match for India, which will be played at the Oval. The question also remains whether he can break the record of Sunil Gavaskar and become the batsman with the most runs in a series as a captain.
Rishabh Pant, unfortunately, suffered an injury in the previous match when a delivery from Chris Woakes went directly to his foot. Although he was able to bat in the game, he was not able to keep the wickets. With the recent update, Pant has been ruled out of the series, and Dhruv Jurel would likely replace him.
Jurel also kept the stumps for the Indian team in the fourth Test, which makes him a top contender to take his spot for the final match. He has played 4 Test matches for India, having scored 202 runs at an average of 40.40, with a half-century.
The X-factor for the Indian team, Ravindra Jadeja, would be coming in at the 6th position. He has contributed more with the bat in the English conditions, as compared to England’s batting line-up itself. Out of the 8 innings in which Jadeja has batted, he remained not out in four of them.
Till now, he has scored 454 runs at an average of 113.50, with one century and 4 half-centuries. With the ball also, he has been able to contribute, taking 7 wickets in 4 matches at an average of 67.71, with an economy rate of just 3.48 runs per over.
Ravindra Jadeja’s perfect partner with both bat and ball has been Washington Sundar. His addition to the Indian team in the matches against England has proven to be helpful, as he has equally contributed. With the ball, Sundar holds 7 wickets in 3 matches at an average of 35.85, with an economy rate of 3.57 runs per over.
Not only with the ball, he also made some needful contributions with the bat, which also included a century in the previous match. Sundar has scored 205 runs in 3 Test matches at an average of 51.25, with a century, and is likely to have more impact in the next game.
India’s lower-order will be going through some changes in the upcoming match, which is set to be a must-win game for the team.
After waiting for four matches, Kuldeep Yadav is now reported to get a chance to play for the Indian team in the final Test match against England. This could be a worthy chance for the spinner to prove his worth and be a permanent part of the team when it comes to spin options.
Having played just 13 Test matches, Kuldeep Yadav has secured an impressive total of 56 wickets at an average of 22.16 and an economy of 3.55 runs per over. Along with that, he has also taken 3 four-wicket hauls and 4 five-wicket hauls in just 24 innings.
Akash Deep, who played an important role with the ball in the second Test, is likely to return to the team in the final Test match to be played at the Oval. He was not able to make an impact in the Lord’s Test, but is likely to return for the match, which is a must-win for India.
In the two Test matches played, he has taken 11 wickets at an average of 28.09, at an economy of just 4.28 runs per over. He would be eager to put in some great performances with the ball this time, which would help him receive more chances to play for the team.
Mohammed Siraj would be taking the charge with the ball once again, as Jasprit Bumrah has played all three Tests that he had to in this series. He also stands among the top wicket-takers of the series, taking 14 wickets in 7 innings at an average of 39.71, with an economy of just 4 runs per over.
However, his performances have not been consistent, and high economy rates remain a concern for the Indian team. If Siraj can receive contributions from the other pacers, he would be able to prove himself dominant once again in the SENA conditions, even if the team is playing without Bumrah.
Jasprit Bumrah is unlikely to play for India in the final Test match, and in his place, the team will be going with Arshdeep Singh. Anshul Kamboj, who made his debut in the previous Test, was not very effective, and for this reason, the team will be going with Arshdeep Singh.
In his First-class career, Arshdeep has played 21 matches and secured 66 wickets at an average of 30.37, with an economy of just 3.20 runs per over. His inclusion could help the Indian line-up to a great extent, as the English conditions would help him swing the ball with ease and take wickets.