Cricketing heavyweights England and India are set to clash once more in the final Test of the series, taking place from 31st July to 4th August at The Oval in London. With a 2-1 lead, England hold a slender advantage and will be eager to seal their first Test series win over India since 2018.
The series so far has produced high scoring encounters, flurries of wickets and countless memorable moments and the finale promises more of the same.
England are nursing a weary bowling outfit after a gruelling two days in the field to conclude the fourth Test. They will be hoping for one last push from their inspirational captain Ben Stokes before injuries take their toll. Meanwhile, India will look to their experienced players such as Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja to rally and rescue a draw from the brink of series defeat.
Current Form:
England
England entered the 4th Test with a 2-1 lead in hand and looked favourites to complete the series Victory at Old Trafford. Stokes’ side had control for much of the match and forced India into a dramatic 2nd innings stand to hold out for the draw. A magnificent display of batting prowess on the last day from India secured a comeback draw and sees the result of the series go down to the wire.
That final day was a concern for England’s bowlers who toiled away with little success against Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar who all made centuries and made England’s attack look rather blunt.
It is with the bat that England have appeared strongest recently and that was the same last match with Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes, and Joe Root all having contributed throughout the series.
India
Shubman Gill’s India will be delighted with the recovery they pulled off in the fourth Test which included several outstanding performances. Their middle order in particular is enjoying their time in England with Jadeja and Sundar producing wickets with their deft spin bowling and accumulating vital runs with the bat.
Unusually for India, their batting has let them down on several occasions in the series, especially in the last Test which saw them forced into a follow on. Gill’s squad is yet to find someone to claim the number three slot as their own, with neither Sai Sudharsan nor Karun Nair, being able to assert themselves on the English bowling attack. More will be required from the batting collective to gather enough runs to try and force a positive result and salvage a draw in the series.
Let’s have a look at the squads:
There have been numerous injury concerns for both sides going into the 5th Test. England’s Ben Stokes has been impacted by niggles throughout, especially when bowling. Yet the captain is filled with determination and is likely to push through and contribute as much as possible in the final Test to get his side over the line.
Meanwhile, India have seen Rishabh Pant ruled out of this match with Dhruv Jurel set to replace him. There are also question marks over prolific seamer Jasprit Bumrah, who was planned to only participate in three matches to manage his workload. With the series so finely poised, it is likely Bumrah will feature in his fourth match of the series to try and turn the tide in his team’s favour.
England
Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes
India
Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, N Jagadeesan (WK).
Players to look out for:
England
Joe Root – The Yorkshireman’s 150 runs in Manchester saw him rise above cricketing greats to become the second all-time Test run scorer. It was Root’s 38th century and was an addition to the one he scored at Edgbaston in the third Test, putting him in fine form for a big score in the series finale.
Ben Stokes – The all-rounder has truly led from the front in this Series, making valuable contributions with bat and ball. The 4th Test saw Stokes reach his peak, smashing 141 runs off 198 balls and taking a five-for in India’s first innings. During India’s defensive display, Stokes looked the most dangerous of the bowlers for England, despite being riddled with minor injuries and it is with the ball that Stokes could make the largest impact again at the Oval.
India
Shubman Gill – India’s captain was superb in the opening Tests, especially in the 2nd where he scored 269 and 161. He added to his tally of centuries again in Manchester to help save the game and looks to have regained his touch. Gill will be desperate for victory in London to draw his first series as captain and is likely to pull out another fine performance to lead his team from the front.
Jasprit Bumrah – Bumrah has proven lethal on several occasions in the series and is tipped to do the bulk of the damage again, should his body co-operate. The paceman decimated England at Lord’s, claiming a five-for to put his name on the honours board and he will look to emulate his success when he returns to the capital.
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The final Test is certain to produce thrills and drama as England battle to hold India off to claim a series victory. India have looked the better side for large swathes of the series, and their big names will be desperate to impress in this final chapter and rescue a draw for their captain in his maiden series at the helm.
Cricket Betting Tips and Match Predictions* – PrePlay
Who will win the match?– England
Top Batter (Runs Scored) – Shubman Gill (India), Joe Root (England)
Top Bowler (Wickets taken) – Jasprit Bumrah (India), Ben Stokes (England)
Most Sixes – Shubman Gill (India), Jamie Smith (England)
Player of the Match– Joe Root (England)
Match Handicap : England
Fixture:
31st July – 4th August 2025
5th Test Match – England vs India
The Oval, London
