India will head into the fifth Test at The Oval with an opportunity to level the series 2-2. Here are the main selection questions they’ll need to answer for the game.
Shardul at 8, or a game for Kuldeep?
Shardul Thakur played the series opener at Headingley before being dropped for the second and third Tests. He then returned at Old Trafford after Nitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out.
In the first innings, Shardul was promoted to No.7 after Rishabh Pant retired hurt, and made a crucial contribution of 41 off 88 balls. With the ball, however, Shardul had little impact, delivering only 11 out of the 154.1 overs England faced, conceding 55 runs without taking a wicket. Even in the first Test, he bowled only 16 overs out of 182 across the two innings, not inspiring any confidence as the fourth seamer.
India’s preference for batting depth over bowling quality is no secret, but they need to secure a victory at The Oval to level the series 2-2, which makes taking 20 wickets non-negotiable. Kuldeep Yadav has not played a game in this series so far, to the surprise of many, but could provide some much-needed variety and control, which would be especially handy if India decide to rest Bumrah. Kuldeep’s inclusion at Shardul’s cost, however, would make the tail uncomfortably long.
Whether India are willing to take that risk and go against their usual template, is one of the most important calls they’ll have to make.
Where does Dhruv Jurel bat?
Dhruv Jurel is set to find a spot in the playing XI for the first time in this series after having kept wickets as a substitute for Rishabh Pant in the third and fourth Tests. Ruled out with a broken foot, Pant's absence will be a big blow for India’s batting lineup.
Jurel has played four Tests so far, but none of them saw him bat at the position vacated by Pant - No.5. In his debut series against England at home, Jurel scored 190 runs at 63.33 batting at No.7, but failed in his only outing in Australia at No.6.
Here, he is most likely to be slotted in at six, between the two left-handed all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. However, following their twin match-saving tons at Old Trafford, if India want to bat Jadeja and Sundar in the top six, Jurel might well be pushed down to No.7. It could also be a blessing in disguise for India’s lower order, as Jurel is the best white-ball batter among the three, theoretically making him best suited to bat with the tail if the need arises. A straight swap with Pant at No.5, however, seems unlikely.
Does Anshul Kamboj get a second chance?
Kamboj was flown in from India for the Old Trafford Test after three seam bowlers were ruled out. He then leapfrogged Prasidh Krishna into the playing XI and took the new ball from Mohammed Siraj. But a poor performance where he lacked control of line and length and had average speeds of less than 130 kph has seen his stocks plummet as quickly as they rose. While he was returning from an injury, the Indian camp maintained that Kamboj was fully fit, which makes his unimpressive outing harder to explain.
India coach Gautam Gambhir said after the Old Trafford Test that all fast bowlers are fit, which makes Kamboj a prime candidate to sit out at The Oval in place of Akash Deep, India’s hero at Edgbaston.
One way he can still be in the mix is if India decide to drop Shardul and play Kamboj at No.8, as the fourth seamer instead of the third. While not as good with the bat as Shardul, Kamboj can hold his own and provide greater bowling value than him as the fourth seamer. However, given his off-colour debut, the possibility of that is quite bleak.
Should India risk Jasprit Bumrah?
Before even leaving Indian shores, Jasprit Bumrah was confirmed to play only three out of the five Tests in England. After featuring at Headingley, Lord’s and Old Trafford, that quota is complete. If India are to stick to their word, Bumrah is set to be rested at The Oval.
However, with the series on the line, they might just be tempted to push their ace bowler to play one more. After the fourth Test, while the Indian camp did not give any confirmation of their team combination for The Oval, they didn’t outright deny the possibility of Bumrah playing either.
“We haven't had any conversation around the combination for the last Test. No decision has been made on whether Jasprit Bumrah will play or not. Ultimately, whoever plays, they will try and do the job for the country,” Gautam Gambhir said after the game.
Bumrah has taken 14 wickets at an average of 26 in this series so far, the most for any Indian bowler and the second-most across either team after Ben Stokes’ 17. However, he was seen struggling on the third day, having reportedly hurt his ankle, with his quicker balls barely touching 140 kph. If he is nursing any sort of niggle, India might want to play it safe keeping his long-term value in mind over the possibility of levelling this series.
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