India will take on England in the fifth of the five-match Test series. This article provides details about England’s Playing 11 vs India for the fifth Test of the IND vs ENG series.
England Playing 11 vs India- 5th Test, India Tour of England 2025:
Openers: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett
England would like to keep their strong record in Test cricket at home under the leadership of Ben Stokes in check, having not lost a series at home since June 2022.
The home team will have to win or draw the last Test to ensure that they come out on top once again in Test matches played at home.
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Having said that, the English captain and coach have a few vital decisions to make, especially with regard to the bowling department.
The reason for that is the workload that the bowlers have gone through in the four Test matches so far, which makes it a wise call to bring changes in the bowling lineup for the decider at the Oval.
Other than that, England is expected not to make any change as far as the team’s batting is concerned, with Duckett and Crawley being the two openers.
Both openers were in good form in the last match and would want to carry that into the upcoming game. Duckett and Crawley scored fifties in the only innings that they batted in Manchester.
Middle-order batsmen and all-rounders: Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Jamie Overton
The majority of the English batting lineup got runs in the last game, including the team’s vice captain, Ollie Pope, who was searching for runs after a big score in the first match of the series.
Pope scored a strokeful half-century and was well supported by Joe Root, who played a wonderful innings of 150 runs and became the second-highest run scorer in the history of Test cricket.
Amidst all the run-scoring and record-breaking spree, one of the biggest positives for the home team was the form of their captain, Ben Stokes, who scored a Test century after two years.
The English management would want their batters to continue the form they showed in the Test at Old Trafford and seal another home series when they take the field during the fifth Test at the Oval.
Bowlers: Liam Dawson, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue
England’s playing XI for the final Test might undergo a number of changes in a bid to manage the workload of the bowlers, all of whom bowled a lot of overs, especially in the fourth innings of the fourth Test.
The changes will be in the team’s fast bowling department, with Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, and Chris Woakes predicted to be rested and replaced by Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, and Josh Tongue.
On the other hand, captain Ben Stokes, who was visibly in discomfart while bowling in the second innings, is all set to feature in the next game.
The hosts will go into the final Test at the Oval with a lone specialist spinner in the form of Liam Dawson.
