Jasprit Bumrah will have to squeeze every ounce of energy from his already overworked body while Ajinkya Rahane will hope to get one final chance to save his international career when India take on England in the fifth and final Test, chasing a historic series win. The weather prediction for the game starting Friday would bring smiles in the Indian camp as there is forecast of rain during the first two days which increases the chance of Virat Kohli becoming the first Indian captain to win an away Test series both in Australia (2018-19) and England (2021).
India are leading 2-1 right now. However, just like the last four Tests, the visitors' line-up for the game is set to evoke curiosity.
If not, then Suryakumar Yadav's flamboyance or Hanuma Vihari's doggedness could be used to unsettle the English attack which might be sans James Anderson, who has taken tremendous workload during this summer. In case, the team management looks at the bigger picture and decides giving Bumrah an option to cool his heels, then Mohammed Siraj, despite an underwhelming show in the last Test, will get a look-in.
The non-inclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin has been non-negotiable for captain Kohli, whose vote of confidence in Ravindra Jadeja's all-round skills has been partially vindicated if not fully.
But will Shardul's show with the bat induce Kohli to think differently and use the better spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin and not Jadeja?
Joe Root will get support from deputy Jos Buttler, who will be back in the playing XI and may replace Bairstow. Mark Wood is likely to share the new ball with Chris Woakes as both Anderson and Craig Overton are likely to miss the Test.
Teams (from):
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mayank Agarwal, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav, Shardul Thakur
England: Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Robinson, Sam Curran, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, James Anderson, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton.
Here are the live streaming details of India vs England 5th Test at Manchester:
Where will the 5th Test between India and England take place?
The 5th Test between India and England will take place at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester.
What time does the 5th Test between India and England begin?
The 5th Test between India and England will begin at 03:30 PM IST on Friday (September 10). The toss will take place at 3 PM IST.
Which TV channel will broadcast the 5th Test between India and England?
The 5th Test between India and England will broadcast LIVE on Sony Ten 1/HD.
Where can I catch the live streaming of the 5th Test between India and England?
The live streaming of the 5th Test between India and England will be available on Sony Liv app and website.
