Can India make it all square at The Oval?

The Hindu

4 days ago

As Shubman Gill inspected the pitch on Wednesday afternoon at The Oval, chief curator Lee Fortis stood nearby and was engaged in a chat with Akash Deep and Abhimanyu Easwaran.
A few moments later, as the Indian think-tank — comprising Gill, head coach Gautam Gambhir, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and chief selector Ajit Agarkar — stood near the square, Fortis walked up to them. Following his heated exchange with Gambhir, one would have expected further fireworks.
As the cameras panned towards them, none of them spoke.
While it seemed fine from a distance, the Indian camp wasn't quite happy with the way things panned out, and when the final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy begins on Thursday, it would be all gung-ho about ending the series on a high.
With England missing out on captain Ben Stokes, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse, India certainly has the edge.
While the medical team has advised against playing Jasprit Bumrah, captain Gill admitted that on a surface that could be 'lively', the team will take a call on fielding the ace pacer later, considering the conditions and weather forecast.
There are high chances of Bumrah eventually missing out, and the onus will fall on Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep. The latter is expected to return to the side after missing out on the previous Test.
Having claimed 17 wickets between them in India's memorable win at Edgbaston, the expectations will be high from the pace duo.
With the surface having a tinge of green on match eve, Arshdeep Singh could potentially make his red-ball debut as the third seamer. 'Arshdeep has been asked to get ready,' Gill confirmed, without divulging details.
Since the beginning of 2023, seamers have claimed 617 wickets in the 22 First Class games played at the venue, whereas spinners have grabbed 79.
This statistic could weaken left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav's chances of returning into the side.
India is expected to continue with B. Sai Sudharsan at No. 3, despite his duck in the second innings at Old Trafford. Dhruv Jurel will be brought in as the wicketkeeper-batter in place of Rishabh Pant, who has been ruled out due to a fractured foot.
While India's batting looks steady, with captain Gill and K.L. Rahul among runs, consistent performances by Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar have added depth. Coming on the back of centuries, both would hope to keep the momentum going.
On the other hand, the absence of Stokes is a huge blow for England. He was not only the team's impactful bowler in the series, but also led from the front in the trickiest of situations.
With Jacob Bethell being drafted for his first Test of the season, he is expected to take care of the spin department along with Joe Root. The host will also feel the absence of Carse and Archer in the fast-bowling department.
It would be a challenge for stand-in skipper Ollie Pope to bring the best out of Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue.
Against a depleted England, this is India's biggest opportunity.
The teams: England (XI): Ollie Pope (Capt.), Jamie Smith (wk), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue.
India: Shubman Gill (Capt.), Dhruv Jurel (wk), N. Jagadeesan (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, K.L. Rahul, B. Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Anshul Kamboj and Kuldeep Yadav.
Match starts at 3:30 p.m. IST.