3 Players India must drop from their playing XI to win the fifth Test at the Oval
Team India showed great resilience and managed to draw the fourth test against England in Manchester. That left the hosts with a 2-1 lead, and India still had a chance to draw the series. The final test will be played at the Oval, starting in three days time on July 31.
Indian batters managed to bat for five sessions without much discomfort and kept the team alive in the series. But what went wrong that at one stage India were almost out of the game, conceding a lead of over 300 runs? The final game is very important, as India need to win the Oval test.
India have only won two of their 15 matches at this venue, so it won’t be easy. Without Rishabh Pant, India’s batting line-up will certainly be left with a big hole. So what necessary steps do India take for the final game? Here we will talk about three possible changes India should make for the final test at The Oval.
Three Players India should drop to do well at the Oval
1. Drop Shardul Thakur, bring in Kuldeep Yadav
Shardul Thakur has had tough tour so far. He has played two tests and have not done well in either of them. He has only two wickets in two tests at a poor average of 74. With the bat as well, apart from his 41 in the first innings in Manchester, he failed.
He was supposed to give India an all-round option, which he has failed to do. Hence, India might drop him. India should bring in Kuldeep Yadav, who is a genuine wicket-taker. The Oval is known to produce batting wickets, which might deteriorate. That is when Kuldeep can be tricky to face. Kuldeep can turn the ball on flat pitches as well and will be effective.
2. Abhimanyu Eswarana in, Sai Sudharsan out
India have given chances to Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan at no. 3. Nair failed with a few 40s, while Sudharsan had a fifty in four innings with two ducks. That's when India should show some faith in the domestic performer. Abhimanyu Eswarana has been part of India's reserve for a couple of years now.
In this duration, 12-13 players have made their debut, but not Eswaran. He has a good record and has loads of runs behind him. With other batters failing to grab the chance, Eswaran should get his long-awaited debut at the Oval. He is someone England have not played against and can be a surprise package in the batting unit.
3. Anshul Kamboj out, Arshdeep Singh In
India's bowling has been disappointing on these flat English pitches. Anshul Kamboj had a hard time on his debut. He returned with a figure of 1/89. He was wayward and leaked runs as well. The Oval offers another batting wicket, which can be hard for him to bowl at.
That is when India need versatility in their bowling unit. There is no confirmation whether Jasprit Bumrah will play the final test or not. Hence, India should try Arshdeep Singh. He can bowl with new and old balls, and his left arm angle will add variety to the Indian bowling unit. He is also very experienced at the international level and can be handy for India.