England add all-rounder Jamie Overton to squad for fifth Test against India
The England and Wales Cricket Board, in an official statement, said, "The England Men's selection panel has added Surrey all-rounder Jamie Overton to the squad for the Rothesay Fifth Test match against India at Kia Oval, starting on Thursday 31 July."
The addition comes after Indian batters grinded it out with three magnificent tons from skipper Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, turning a 311-run deficit to a 114-run lead and securing a draw to keep the chances of a series draw alive going into The Oval. India's effort of batting 143 overs was tiring and took a mental and physical toll on the English pacers, and their frustration was evident in their remarks aimed at Sundar and Jadeja towards the match, during which they urged them to complete their centuries quickly and shake hands for a draw.
England's squad for the fifth Test: Ben Stokes (Durham) - Captain, Jofra Archer (Sussex), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Zak Crawley (Kent), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Jamie Overton (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey)
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).
Coming to the match, England opted to field first. Half-centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 in 107 balls, with 10 fours and a six), Sai Sudharsan (61 in 151 balls, with seven fours) and Rishabh Pant (54 in 75 balls, with three fours and two sixes) took India to 358 runs, with Stokes (5/72) troubling the visitors with timely wickets and not letting a massive partnership happen. Jofra Archer also took 3/73.
In the second innings, Zak Crawley (84 in 113 balls, with 13 fours and a six) and Ben Duckett (94 in 100 balls, with 13 fours) produced a 166-run stand for the opening wicket, sending India on leather hunt. The presence of Joe Root (150 in 248 balls, with 14 fours) and Stokes (141 in 198 balls, with 12 fours and a six) aggravated Indian bowlers, who saw these two produce milestone after milestone on their way to a 311-run lead. England was skittled out for 669 runs, with Ravindra Jadeja (4/143) being the pick of the bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah (2/112) had an off day at work.
After Chris Woakes reduced India to 0/2, KL Rahul (90 in 230 balls, with eight fours) and skipper Shubman Gill (103 in 238 balls, with 12 fours) caused England's faces to tense, batting three sessions for an 188-run stand. After these two were done, the spin all-rounder duo of Jadeja (107* in 185 balls, with 13 fours and a six) and Washington Sundar (101* in 206 balls, with nine fours and a six) rattled and frustrated England with their resolve and wall-like presence, taking India to a 114-run lead, ending at 425/4 in a draw.
The series is still alive at 1-2, with the final match at The Oval to start from July 31.
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Times of Oman
2 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Stokes' absence, changes in Indian bowling, Gambhir-Fortis controversy: A classic series decider in the making at London
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. 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Times of Oman
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16 hours ago
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