Another Lifeline For Karun Nair? Big Changes For 5th Test As India Set To Drop...
India plan to bolster their batting for the final Test against England at The Oval with Karun Nair expected to make his return.
India are reportedly turning to a similar team combination that gave them their solitary Test win of the ongoing England tour at Edgbaston earlier this month. The Shubman Gill-led side is trailing 1-2 in the five-match series with the final contest set to be played at The Oval from Thursday (July 31).
According to a report in The Indian Express, Karun Nair is set to return to the playing XI after being benched for the Manchester Test which ended in a draw. The top-order batter has been struggling to convert his starts after making his Test return in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
The report states that India are looking to strengthen their batting order for the series-decider which they must win to ensure parity. With the pitch at The Oval having a layer of grass on the match eve, the team management could add an extra batter in Nair.
Shardul To Be Dropped?
If Nair gets a look in, allrounder Shardul Thakur will likely get the axe due to his unimpressive bowling in the 4th Test. Nair has scored 131 runs from six innings on the tour so far while averaging 21.83 with a best of 40. The fifth Test could be another lifeline for him to keep his place in the Test squad.
Nair made his much-awaited India return during the 2nd Test, replacing B Sai Sudharsan who was consigned to the bench after an unremarkable debut in Leeds. However, this time around, both are expected to keep their spots.
Should the fifth Test be played on a green pitch, left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav may have to return to India without playing a single game on the tour.
India have not ruled out Jasprit Bumrah's inclusion for the fifth Test despite him already playing three matches as per his workload plan. Should he sit out, Akash Deep could make his return alongside Prasidh Krishna, the report states. In that scenario, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh will have to wait longer for his Test debut.
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