Ben Stokes’ side can no longer lose their Test series however England v India heads to a decider at The Oval will all still left to play for. Andy Schooler previews the fifth and final test of a scintillating test series. Read his exclusive thoughts below for kwiff.
England v India 2025: 5th Test Preview (The Oval)
Venue: The Oval, London, England
Date/Time: Thursday July 31, 1100 BST (5 days)
TV: Sky Sports Cricket
After a rare draw at Old Trafford – only the second in 40 Tests for England under Brendon McCullum – this Test series remains live heading to The Oval. India need a victory to claim a series draw which some would say their efforts have merited.
England v India: Tired Test Cricketers
Admittedly, they had to dig in with two days of dogged batting in Manchester but that may now well work in their favour. England spent more than 257 overs in the field at Old Trafford and their attack looked weary to say the least. Skipper Ben Stokes has admitted “we might have to make a few decisions to get some fresh legs in” for this contest which comes after only a three-day break.
Gus Atkinson, Sam Cook, Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue all wait in the wings. Stokes himself struggled at times with a bicep tendon injury but insists it’s “very unlikely” that he will miss the decider. India, meanwhile, have a more positive headache with Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep fit again and Jasprit Bumrah potentially playing despite having said he would only play three of the five Tests to manage his workload.
England v India: Visitors are Value
Having done nothing during the last five sessions at Old Trafford, could he be risked with so much at stake? There seems a decent chance now. India will be without batter Rishabh Pant (broken foot) but the clamour for Kuldeep Yadav is growing – they need to be able to take wickets and his wrist spin could be vital come the second innings on this ground.
Given the state of the two attacks, I’m again tempted to back India at 3.2 to gain the result they need, although it’s worth noting the potential for rain – Sunday looks the biggest worry at time of writing, although that’s still several days away.
England v India: Praying for Pope
In the player markets, Ollie Pope hasn’t enjoyed his best series but the Surrey star is now back on home soil and he has a strong record on this ground. His average of 64.4 at The Oval is way above his career Test mark of 35.58 and it’s notable that several of his top England bat rivals have their figures going the other way.
On a surface traditionally regarded as bat friendly, it’s a tad surprising to see Joe Root’s average here is only 41.73. I feel a tad bad using the word only there but the point is it’s well down on his career average of above 51. Harry Brook is in a similar boat. With Pope offered at 6.5 in the England top batter market, he could be worth chancing.
England v India: Rampant Ravi
I’m also going to mention Ravindra Jadeja again. He made a game-saving ton at Old Trafford and has now passed 50 in five of his last six innings. Again, we’re not getting a price on him to make a half-century here but I’m prepared to throw a dart in the man-of-the-match betting.
The all-rounder made an unbeaten 86 here in 2018 and has taken 15 wickets in his three Test matches on this ground, including 3+ in three of the six innings. His slow left-arm deliveries could have apart to play in the second innings and if that happens and his batting form holds up, his name should be in the mix when it comes to picking the winner.
England v India 5th Test 2025: Best Bets
India to win @ 3.2 with kwiff
Ollie Pope England top batter @ 6.5 with kwiff
Ravindra Jadeja man of the match @ 10.5 with kwiff
By Andy Schooler
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