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England will look to be at their best in the fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, set to be played at The Oval, after they failed to win the fourth game played at the Old Trafford despite taking a 311-run lead in the first innings. The English side are enjoying a 2-1 lead in the competition but they have to be relentless as Team India will be filled with confidence after attaining a draw in the Manchester contest.
In the fourth game, England’s batting-unit did a phenomenal job as they posted a total of 669 runs. The home side’s bowling attack also looked decent as they looked remarkable in the first innings. In the second innings, they stumbled after getting a fine start from Chris Woakes but the hosts won’t be concerned about that. A couple of days prior to the fifth Test, SportsTiger has come up with England’s probable playing XI.
Here's England's Probable playing XI against India at The Oval:
Openers: Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett
In the fourth match, England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett did their jobs exceptionally. Both stitched a 166-run stand together for the opening wicket. Crawley, who was struggling to be among the runs, will be relieved after his 84-run innings in Manchester.
Middle-order batters: Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith
Ollie Pope has looked decent at number three while Joe Root has solidified his side’s middle-order efficiently in this series. Harry Brook and Jamie Smith struggled at Old Trafford but both players have the potential to regain their form in the upcoming match. Jamie is still England’s most successful batter in the competition, racking up 424 runs in seven innings of four games.
All-rounders: Ben Stokes Liam Dawson, and Jamie Overton
Captain Ben Stokes looked breathtaking with both bat and ball in the fourth game. In the final match, he might be seen featuring in England’s 11-member squad as a batter as he was seen struggling due to fitness issues following the first innings of the previous game. Liam Dawson is highly likely to spearhead England’s spin-bowling unit again in the final game. Jamie Overton has been added to England’s 15-member side before the London challenge.
Chris Woakes, who performed brilliantly in the Manchester Test’s second innings, may be rested due to workload and his replacement might be Overton, who played his last Test in June 2022, with his appearance against India in Leeds.
Bowlers: Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer
Brydon Carse looked ineffective in Manchester but he has delivered notable numbers to the side as a batter in the last couple of contests. Jofra Archer has looked superb in the last two games and he will be expected to do wonders in the final game as well.
