London: India and England players will push their tired bodies on the line with everything to play for in the fifth and final Test starting at The Oval on Thursday, promising a fitting end to what has been a fiercely-fought and highly watchable series.
The series, playing in front of packed crowds, has also been a perfect advert for Test cricket with all four games stretching to the final session on Day 5.
Not to forget the skirmishes along the way that has spiced it up enough for all the
Test-loving fans.
Whether it is Shubman Gill’s tirade against Zak Crawley deliberately wasting time at the Lord’s to Ravindra Jadeja refusing to call off proceedings on the final day much to the chagrin of Ben Stokes, things couldn’t have gotten hotter than what it already is in London, experiencing a heat wave for the better part.
And Gautam Gambhir, the man always ready for a scrap has only intensified it with altercation with Oval curator Lee Fortis.
And in this backdrop with no Jasprit Bumrah to stand as that leafy banyan tree, it is boom or bust time for
Gambhir’s men.
Expect the series finale to go down to the wire as well with England under an inspirational leader in Ben Stokes, enjoying a 2-1 advantage over a young and free-spirited India, who have surpassed all expectations under new skipper Gill.
In first series as captain of a team undergoing major transition, Gill has led from the front and with 722 runs and is only 52 shy from Sunil Gavaskar’s record of most runs by an Indian in a series.
He needs another 11 runs to surpass Gavaskar’s record of most runs (732) by an Indian captain in a Test series (1978-79 vs West Indies).
The 25-year-old has come of age with four hundreds thus far including a double century and a match saving 103 in the previous Test at Old Trafford. After low returns in three innings, Gill played the most defining knock of his career in Manchester to enhance his reputation not just as a batter but also as captain.
Having played a massive role in earning a famous draw from an almost hopeless situation, Gill and his team go into the finale with momentum on their side but gaps to fill.
With 511 runs, KL Rahul has been a model of consistency at the top of the order but more will be expected from Yashasvi Jaiswal and number three Sai Sudharsan on what is generally a decent batting surface at The Oval.
Bumrah likely to sit out
India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is set to miss the Test as part of workload management, with Akash Deep likely to replace him, according to a report.
The 31-year-old world No 1 pacer appeared off-colour during the drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford, where he struggled with his pace and failed to make breakthroughs.
“The BCCI medical team has told Bumrah that the decision is in line with safeguarding his back and keeping the long-term in mind,” stated
a report.