India vs England Test: The Oval set for blockbuster finish

London: When was the last time four successive matches in a Test series went until the last hour of the final evening, at least in the modern era? Well, even statisticians are scrambling their heads to find an answer. That’s how intensely fought this fascinating series between India and England has been, with neither giving an inch in their quest for supremacy.

Now the two physically exhausted sides will be forced to dig deep into their reserves as key warriors sit out due to injuries and workload management for the series finale starting at The Oval from Thursday. Who will earn the bragging rights for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, locked 2-1 in favour of England, depends on how well the two sides can cope with the hefty blows post the Old Trafford slugfest, although odds are slightly in favour of India.

Massive blow

India will be without dynamic wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, while England have been dealt a massive blow after skipper Ben Stokes was ruled out due to a right shoulder injury, along with gun pacers Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse, and spinner Liam Dawson.

Vice-captain Pant, who fractured his right foot at Old Trafford, has been one of the standout performers, scoring 479 runs with two centuries and three half-centuries. More than the runs, it’s how he scores them that gave India an edge. The wicketkeeper, a proper box office attraction, cherishes taking calculated risks, and his method often forces bowlers on the back foot. He was pilloried for his high-risk, high-reward strategy during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but the southpaw has nicely blended aggression with defence to emerge as India’s third-highest run scorer this series. Dhruv Jurel has massive shoes to fill.

Ambiguity continues around Jasprit Bumrah’s availability, with skipper Shubman Gill saying a call on the playing XI will be made in the evening after having another look at the conditions. However, judging by the happenings at the ‘nets’ sessions, it looks like Bumrah may miss the game, with India fielding Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep for certain and the third slot being a toss-up between experienced Prasidh Krishna or handing a debut to Arshdeep Singh.

What will give India the added confidence of levelling the series is knowing that danger man Stokes won’t be there on the field. The all-rounder has not only marshalled his troops exceptionally but is also a star with both the bat and the ball. Every time India were in a dominant position while batting, Stokes has come on and instantly made a difference with his unique ability to produce these wicket-taking deliveries even on docile surfaces. Stokes is the one who gave a disillusioned England under Joe Root’s captaincy fresh direction, and their fortunes have been on the up since he took charge in April 2022. 

If that was not enough, England will be missing Archer and Carse. Archer was brought in for the Lord’s Test, and the pacer showed why he carries so much hype despite not playing Test cricket for four years. He bowled with fire, constantly clocking in excess of 140 kmph, and with passion too, to help England take a 2-1 lead. Carse, just like Siraj for India, has been the tireless soldier, bowling spells after spells thanklessly. Carse is also a solid lower-order hitter, and England will miss all three of them sorely.

Ollie Pope, a sober character in contrast to the fiery duo of Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, faces an onerous task of leading a side missing its key commanders for the final battle of a long and bruising war. Gill, on the other hand, is all fired up to chart a legacy with his young brigade. Stage is set for a cracking climax. 

Squads: England (playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (capt), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue.

India (from): Shubman Gill (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, N Jagadeesan (WK).