Stokes' absence, changes in Indian bowling, Gambhir-Fortis controversy: A classic series decider in the making at London

Times of Oman

6 days ago

London: The final Test between England and India at The Oval will kickstart from Thursday, with Shubman Gill-led Team India aiming for a series draw, which will no doubt make the team walk out of the UK with their heads held really high.
Following a dramatic draw at Old Trafford, which witnessed centuries from skipper Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar, Team India will have a psychological advantage over England, whose bowlers were bowled right into the ground as Jadeja-Sundar gleefully chased their well-deserved centuries after sealing a draw. Team India has a disappointing record at The Oval, winning two, losing six and drawing seven.
One of the key plot lines heading into the match is the absence of English skipper Ben Stokes, who is out due to a right shoulder muscle injury. Ollie Pope will be captaining England in place of Stokes, having won three and lost one during his brief stint wearing the armband in the absence of Stokes last year. The Three Lions will no doubt miss their miracle man, the man who would take the initiative first and would make things happen when expected the least.
Speaking ahead of the match in the pre-match presser, Stokes said about his injury, "I am obviously disappointed, I have got a decent tear in one of the muscles I can't pronounce. We took as long as we could to make the decision around that. Obviously, there is a bit of emotion that goes into this stuff when you find out what you have done. I came down here this morning to give myself every chance to play just as a batter," Stokes told the media as quoted from Sky Sports.
But even with an Ashes series away from home coming in November, Stokes is in no mood to slow down as he prepares for the Aussie challenge, highlighting how much the England badge and winning mean to him.
"When I am out on the field, I play to win. I give absolutely everything that I possibly can. If I feel like there's a moment in the game where I need to put everything that I'm feeling aside, I'll do that, because that is how much this team means to me, it is how much playing for England means to me, it is how much winning means to me," he added.
With spinner Liam Dawson out, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse omitted, the team will have a solid spin option in all-rounder Jacob Bethell, batting at number six and potent pace options in a returning Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue.
"That is the benefit of having a very strong squad. We have some good cricketers to choose from when we find ourselves in a situation like this. So, let us put full concentration on the 11 we have out there this week. We are very confident we have the ability to win this game and the series," said Stokes, expressing confidence in the playing eleven.
On Bethell, who garnered a lot of hype with his strokeplay and three half-centuries against New Zealand away from last year as a number three batter, Stokes said, "I think being the type of player that he is, where he plays all three formats, probably allows him to be a bit more versatile with where he bats in the order. He will slide in at six, and I am very confident in his ability. He is a quality player, I think we all know that. We were not going to change the batting order at all, so it is quite easy for him to slot in at six."
On the other hand, India is awaiting an update on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's availability for the final Test, which would mark his fourth outing in the series.
During the Manchester Test, he produced his most expensive Test figures of 2/112 and had struggles with his fitness too. Speaking about Bumrah's availability ahead of the game in a presser, Gill said, "We are going to take a decision tomorrow. The wicket looks pretty green, so we will see how it turns out. So far in the series, Bumrah has been the second-highest wicket-taker and India's top bowler with 14 scalps at an average of over 26, with two five-wicket hauls to his name."
Gill also said that the call on Arshdeep, who is already India's top T20I wicket-taker, will be taken later in the evening.
"He is definitely being asked to get ready. As I mentioned, we'll make a decision later this evening. I will go and have a look at the wicket. I have not had a chance to look at the wicket. See how the weather is going to be in the next five days and then make a decision," he added.
Arshdeep has experience playing in England, considering his past exploits in the County Championship. After a 17-wicket campaign in the IPL 2023, he signed for Kent and scalped 13 wickets from five matches. In 21 first-class games, Arshdeep has taken 66 wickets at an average of 30.37, with best figures of 6/40 and two fifers in 37 innings.
Gill said that the series has been a "great learning curve" for him as a captain, and the scoreline is not a true reflection of how well India has played.
"I think every match that we have played, it was very difficult to decide which team was going to win after four days of cricket. If we are able to do that for every match, for four matches, coming outside of India with a relatively young team, I think it is going to be a big achievement for us if we are able to level the series," he said.
Tensions remain high following an argument between Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and pitch curator Lee Fortis over practice facilities, with the curator allegedly preventing them from inspecting the pitch from closed quarters.
Speaking on the matter, Gill said, "I do not know what exactly happened yesterday and why the pitch curator did what he did. We have played four matches, and no one has tried to stop us. Everyone has played so much cricket, and the coaches and the captain have gone and seen the wicket so many times. I don't know what the fuss was all about."
He further explained that it's common for captains and coaches to inspect the pitch from close quarters, a normal part of preparation, as long as the person is either barefoot or wearing rubber spikes.
"If a pitch curator is going to come and ask us to not look at the wicket and look at the wicket from three metres from behind, that is not something that has happened to us before. We have been playing cricket for such a long time, and as long as you are under rubber spikes or you are barefoot, you are allowed to look at the wicket from close quarters, and that is the job of the coach and the captain. So I do not know why the curator did not let us or did not allow us to do that. It is not the first time that we were having a look at the wicket," he added.
Will this controversy and resultant tension get reflected in the team's play and give Team India the victory they have been looking for? Only time will tell.
England's Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue