5th Test (The Oval) - 31st July to 4th August

[Shady Slim]

yeah if you play prasidh you’re handing the series over on the sliver platter

 

[shortpitched713]

Leave Jasprit out of the Oval!

 

[Johan]

I predict a high scoring draw, Oval is traditionally the flattest pitch in England and now we are combining it with two inept bowling units, the wheels literally falling off for India as we saw with both Bumrah and Siraj, and England having the Stokes/Carse concern too, combine with two batting units in proper form and it's a perfect recipe for a draw.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

I predict a high scoring draw, Oval is traditionally the flattest pitch in England and now we are combining it with two inept bowling units, the wheels literally falling off for India as we saw with both Bumrah and Siraj, and England having the Stokes/Carse concern too, combine with two batting units in proper form and it's a perfect recipe for a draw.

I wouldn’t bank on that, we’ve had really flat pitches here for a few years now as I said in the OT match thread, that was the first time we’ve had a draw in a Test in England that wasn’t rain-affected since 2014. The Oval had that crazy game with the Kookaburra the other day, but I’m not sure it is flatter than OT considering the other games that have been played there this season have been more normal, I imagine the scores will be akin to what we saw at Edgbaston

 

[Johan]

I wouldn’t bank on that, we’ve had really flat pitches here for a few years now as I said in the OT match thread, that was the first time we’ve had a draw in a Test in England that wasn’t rain-affected since 2014. The Oval had that crazy game with the Kookaburra the other day, but I’m not sure it is flatter than OT considering the other games that have been played there this season have been more normal, I imagine the scores will be akin to what we saw at Edgbaston

To be honest like in 2022 and 2024, England's climate was better (imo) and with the English climate even if the pitch is flatter, the cloud cover and the general humidity and more moisture even on a very flat pitch leads to good, balanced cricket between the bat and the ball. 2025 has been different and I just don't know how these two teams are supposed to produce a result at a dry, dead wicket when we can see the wheels falling off both attacks at Old Trafford.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

To be honest like in 2022 and 2024, England's climate was better (imo) and with the English climate even if the pitch is flatter, the cloud cover and the general humidity and more moisture even on a very flat pitch leads to good, balanced cricket between the bat and the ball. 2025 has been different and I just don't know how these two teams are supposed to produce a result at a dry, dead wicket when we can see the wheels falling off both attacks at Old Trafford.

The wheels are falling off, Bumrah, Archer and Carse were noticeably down on pace, but I expect to see both teams shuffle the pack considerably with regards to their bowling attacks. There is no replacing peak Bumrah (not that this was peak Bumrah by any stretch), and while I don’t think Atkinson and Tongue will come in and smash India to pieces, I do expect that they’ll be more of a threat than Carse who was clearly nowhere near his best

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

As an Indian fan, I suggest they play both him and Bashir at Oval.

Won the match with his injury, so maybe you’re on to something…

 

[the big bambino]

Sometimes you get the Oval's evil twin behaving like a gremlin, but with the series lead to protect I suspect we'll get the roadiest road that ever roaded.

 

[jaydesh]

I’d absolutely pick him but it wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t pick him, they have been very clear that he’s playing 3 of the 5 Tests, and now with them unable to win the series outright, that might give them a reason to rest him for the Asia Cup (if that’s even going ahead lol). Still, with how they battled over the last two days, I think they’ll play him

If Bumrah is fit, he should play. End of. Better to put in the hours right now and rest up later. No need to play some meaningless Asia Cup, and much of the home series. I think the first visitors are the West Indies, who won't trouble the Indians much (well, their bowlers might, but their batting is something else). Then they have the WTC champions South Africa, who may be a bit tougher. But still, no need to play.

 

[jaydesh]

As an Indian fan, I suggest they play both him and Bashir at Oval.

Bashir is out of the series

 

[jaydesh]

He bowled rubbish on day 2, but he did bowl better on days 3 and 4 even if his pace was down. Think even a Bumrah not quite firing on all cylinders is still your best seamer tbf, it’s just a question of whether it’s worth risking an injury to draw the series

In a do or die match, you pick the best players if they're fit. In any case, I'd hate to see those scumbags run away with a series win after their ugly conduct at Old Trafford.

 

[Daemon]

Bumrah has to play if fit with no niggles.

He bowled 33 overs in an innings sure but that was it for the game. He also had plenty of rest before the test.

Series on the line, gotta play. If he had a heavy workload all series it would be more acceptable but he hasn’t.

 

[honestbharani]

Well, there is a chance that we dont play any of the 8-11 that played this game.

Jaiswal
Rahul (vc)
Sai Suds
Gill (c) (wk)
Jaddu
Jurel (wk)
Washy
Akashdeep
Kuldeep
Arshdeep
Prasidh

Of course, there is a chance that India do play Bumrah and Siraj in which case, they can simply replace Arshdeep and Kuldeep for Shardul and Kambhoj. Or maybe just Bumrah for Prasidh.

 

[Johan]

I'm just genuinely worried about the bowlers if Oval is another road, Stokes and Bumrah would die if asked to bowl 20 overs a day again bruh

 

[Shri]

Well, there is a chance that we dont play any of the 8-11 that played this game.

Jaiswal
Rahul (vc)
Sai Suds
Gill (c) (wk)
Jaddu
Jurel (wk)
Washy
Akashdeep
Kuldeep
Arshdeep
Prasidh

Of course, there is a chance that India do play Bumrah and Siraj in which case, they can simply replace Arshdeep and Kuldeep for Shardul and Kambhoj. Or maybe just Bumrah for Prasidh.

Jaiswal
Rahul
Sai
Gill
Sundar
Jaddu
Jurel
Kuldeep
Akash
Arse
Siraj

 

[Johan]

Jaiswal
Rahul
Sai
Gill
Sundar
Jaddu
Jurel
Kuldeep
Akash
Arse
Siraj

Arse?

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Jaiswal
Rahul
Sai
Gill
Sundar
Jaddu
Jurel
Kuldeep
Akash
Arse
Siraj

Carse is English m8

 

[Molehill]

The last Championship game at The Oval saw Surrey rack up 820-9 before Durham secured the draw by being 262-0 in their second knock.

Probably not what these 2 bowling units wanted to hear.

 

[Johan]

The last Championship game at The Oval saw Surrey rack up 820-9 before Durham secured the draw by being 262-0 in their second knock.

Probably not what these 2 bowling units wanted to hear.

England should rest Archer, if India want to risk Bumrah's career here then none of our business

 

[cnerd123]

it feels like the build up to each match this series has been 'this pitch is gonna be flat' as though that's not the norm throughout England atm.

And after 4 flat decks we're apparently heading to the flattest of them all.