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The year-long wait for the fifth Test match between England and India is finally about to come to an end. While the Test match was part of India's tour of England in 2021, it will now culminate in July after COVID-19 cases in the Indian camp had forced the postponement of that fixture. The Men in Blue currently lead the series 2-1 but that result is history now and both the teams have undergone changes since then.
While England have a adopted a refreshing approach in Test cricket under a new captain and coach in Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum respectively, India are set to have a first-time captain for this Test with Jasprit Bumrah set to lead after Rohit Sharma has been ruled out after getting infected with COVID-19.
Once the actual battle begins on the field though, it will be a different ballgame and it will come down to the skill and temperament and who applies themselves better. Ahead of the Test, here is a stat-based prediction of which way the match could go and who has the advantage before the first ball is bowled.
1. Toss Prediction
England have won just 1 of their 3 tosses which means a toss winning percentage of 33.33 in their last 3 games. Meanwhile, India have won tosses in each of their last 3 Test matches which means a 100 per cent record as far as the toss is concerned. So based on the sample size of the last 3 Tests, India could win the toss in this match.
2. Win Possibility
This could be a difficult task. India may be ahead in this series but that may not be an accurate idea of where the two teams stand. The Men in Blue lost their last overseas series against South Africa and will be without their preferred opener in Rohit Sharma. With KL Rahul also not available and Virat Kohli not in the best of form, the team looks a bit vulnerable, especially in the batting department. On the other hand, England will play fearless cricket- the way they showed against New Zealand and while it worked against the Kiwis, it may not necessarily work every time. However, on current form and in given conditions, England start as favourites. Tilting the win possibility meter in favour of the English team.
3. Team of the Match
The Team of the Match are predicted to be England. They have had proper match practice and are coming on the back of a three-match Test series against the Kiwis. India, meanwhile, only had one four-day tour game to adjust to the conditions. Moreover, they will be without Rohit Sharma. So the Three Lions are picked to be the team of the match.
4. Average scores
The average first innings score at the Edgbaston in Birmingham which is the venue for this Test is 307. The average second innings score here then rises to 320 with the average scores in the third and fourth innings seeing a decline at 244 and 152, respectively.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the author’s point of view. They neither reflect the opinion of SportsTiger nor advise anyone to make any prediction based on this. SportsTiger does not assume any responsibility and liability for the same.