The fifth and final Test match between india and england is set to begin at the london Oval. In this crucial match that will decide the winner of the series, there is a big debate about what the nature of the Oval pitch will be like. Will the grass on the pitch be favorable for fast bowling, or will it help rain runs? The mystery continues. england is currently leading 2-1 in this series. The indian team cannot win this series. But they can win the last match and level the series 2-2. For that, they need to win at the Oval stadium. The nature of the pitch was not clear until a day before the start of the match. On Wednesday, a considerable amount of grass was seen on the pitch. This is a sign that it could be a good day for the fast bowlers. If the sky is cloudy on match days, batting will be more challenging.
 Confirming these predictions, england have added four fast bowlers to their playing eleven. Joe Root and Jacob Bethell will help with the spin if needed. For the indian team, washington sundar and ravindra Jadeja, who scored a century in Manchester, are sure to make it into the team. If the grass is left as it is, the lack of experienced fast bowlers in the team could be a setback for captain Shubman Gill. Since jasprit bumrah is unlikely to play, Arshdeep Singh is likely to make his debut. This means that shardul thakur is also likely to retain his place in the team. Is it good for run-scoring? With the high runs being scored throughout this series, the run-scoring is likely to continue in the fifth Test as well. The Oval has been a batting favourite in recent times. In the last county match here, Surrey batted first and scored 820 runs. In reply, Durham were bowled out for 362 in the first innings.
 
The total score in that match was 1444 runs. In the previous period, shardul thakur scored half-centuries in both Tests played at the Oval. KL rahul scored 149 runs in 2018, and rishabh pant scored 118 runs at the Oval. Therefore, the indian batsmen are expected to perform well again on the batting-friendly pitch. The Oval has never been a good place for the indian team. Except for a historic victory in 2021, the indian team has mostly disappointed here. india last lost to australia in the World Test championship final in 2023 at this very venue.

The true face of the Oval pitch caretaker India’s performance at the Oval: Total matches: 15
Wins: 2
Draws: 7
Losses: 6

The Shubman Gill-led indian team will be looking to change this bad history and level the series.
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Sowmiya Sriram

31/07/2025 09:59 AM