After four gruelling Tests spanning over a month, England and India are set to do battle in the 5th and final Test match at the Oval in South London. The match commences on the 31st of July 2025 and promises to be another hard-fought battle between two teams that have given more than their 100% in this series. The stage is set for an epic finale in which England cannot lose the series but it is alive thanks to the fighting spirit of India.
The series has had its all with roller coaster of emotions and two teams that did not easily concede defeat and stretched the other to the limit. Both teams will look forward to this clash with some spice added to it, with some unnecessary controversy also hogging the limelight from time to time. The bodies will be weary, especially the fast bowling units of both sides, but once the game starts they will go for one last push to defy the odds and do something special for their country.
Overview of the Series
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy kicked off with the first Test match at Leeds. For much of the time, India were ahead in the game with 5 centurions in the Test match for the visitors with Rishabh Pant scoring in each innings. But despite that, England fought hard to stay in the game and kept fighting with India and eventually chased down 371 with 5 wickets in hand courtesy a brilliant 149 by Ben Duckett who was ably supported by Zak Crawley who made 65 in a 188-run stand for the first wicket.
But India hit back hard in the Edgbaston Test thanks to their captain Shubman Gill putting on a show scoring 269 in the first innings and 161 in the second innings as India amassed 587 and 427/6 declared on the board. England managed 407 and 271 with Siraj picking up 6 wickets in the first innings and Akash Deep picking up 6 wickets in the second innings as India levelled the series with a 336-run win.
The Lord’s Test was epic as it had everything as the pendulum swung from one team to another. Centuries for Joe Root and KL Rahul meant both England and India made 387 each. England then managed to score 192 with Washington Sundar’s 4/22 causing a major collapse. But India’s batting for the first time faltered in a tricky but gettable chase as the top order crumbled to be 82/7 at one stage. Ravindra Jadeja kept the fight going for India alongside the tail and almost pulled off a heist. But it was not to be as Shoaib Bashir and England held their nerves for a 22-run win as the hosts went 2-1 up at Manchester.
At Old Trafford, we expected the weather to bring massive interruptions, but there was nothing of that sort. England dominated the Test match as they first restricted India to 358 with Ben Stokes picking up a five-wicket haul. Joe Root scored a masterful 150 and Stokes also scored a hundred in 2 years scoring 141 as England piled on 669 taking a 311-run first innings lead. India were reduced to 0/2 with both Jaiswal and Sudharsan back in the hut. The game was all done and dusted with 5 sessions still left in the game.
But India showed fight through KL Rahul and Shubman Gill as both played out the last two sessions of Day 4 and while both fell before Lunch on the final day, they had laid the platform with Rahul scoring 90 and Gill a superb ton once again. Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja combined to put 203* unbeaten stand to defy England and earn themselves a draw. India could have lost the series in Manchester, but they have managed to stay alive in the series.
Going to the Oval, India will need a win and nothing less than a win will do while for England they will want to win and finish the series with a 3-1 win as even a draw will help them win the series. So, it is all to play for as draw is not an option for the visitors and important WTC points up for grabs.
Head-To-Head
So far, England and India have faced each other in 140 games in the history of Test Cricket. England have won 53 while India has won 36. 51 matches have ended in a Draw. The first-ever Test match between the sides was contested on 25th June, 1932 and the latest was contested in Manchester from 23rd June 2025. It shows that England is way ahead of India overall.
Pitch Report & Weather ForecastÂ
The pitch at the Oval starts being flat and is conducive to the batters. As the game wears on, it tends to deteriorate with the spinners maybe having a say in the final two days. Pacers are expected to get seam movement and get ample help with the new ball. Overall, it will help the batters in general, and the bowlers, even the fast bowlers, will need to be patient and bowl the right lines and lengths. Depending on weather, the captain shall decide what to do at the toss.
The last County Championship match at this venue saw a clash between Surrey and Durham. Surrey scored 820/9 and in reply, Durham scored 362 in the first innings and followed that up with 262/0 as the match ended in a draw. This match was played on 29th June 2025.
As far as the weather forecast is concerned for the Test match, according to the latest reports, Day 1 is expected to be partly cloudy skies with a possibility of a few afternoon showers. Day 2, on the other hand, is expected to be sunny, with a full day’s play expected. Day 4 will have spells of rain while Day 5 is expected to have long periods of sunshine, so another full day’s play is possible. It seems that rain may play a part and take some time out of the Test match.
Predicted/Confirmed Playing XIs of both teams
Both teams will be wary and as a result will have to ponder about their playing XIs. While the batting department will remain the same, it is the bowlers and their workload that will be under some scrutiny. Both teams have weary bodies and now with Jasprit Bumrah set to sit out, India’s bowling will be slightly weakened. Here are the predicted/confirmed playing XIs for both sides:
England Confirmed Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Betherll, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Joshua Tongue.
India Predicted XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
So, England have confirmed 4 changes with Ben Stokes, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, and Brydon Carse making way for Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, and Joshua Tongue. India is confusing everyone as Pant is ruled out and Bumrah will not play as per latest reports. Shardul Thakur is unlikely to be given a game. India could go with 3 spinners at the Oval which could be one too many but looking at bodies of players could be the only option.
Key Players in Focus for this Match
Ben Duckett: Ben Duckett has been in good form and who can’t forget his match-winning 149 at Leeds in a 371 chase. He has done well and blown hot and cold in the series. He could be a key player for England as he knows how to navigate spin and pace. He is a short man but packs a punch and has the ability to take the game away from India. He did well at Manchester scoring 94 in the first innings and would want to dominate the Indians here at the Oval.
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Yashasvi Jaiswal started the series with a bang as he scored a century at Leeds. After that, it was expected that he will light the series on fire. But he has not done quite that. He got a good 80 odd in Edgbaston and a half-century at Old Trafford in the first innings. But when the game was on the line, he has failed, played some rash shots. Jaiswal is a talented player and has the ability to score daddy hundreds. India will look towards him to fire and set things up and take the load of KL Rahul who is having a great series so far.
Key Stats to look forward to ahead of this Test match.Â
- India’s record at the Oval isn’t great as they have played 17 Test matches here, out of which they have won 2 and lost 6 games. 9 other games have ended in a draw. Although, India won at the Oval in 2021 under the leadership of Virat Kohli the last time they faced England here.
- Shubman Gill has already eclipsed the most runs by an Indian batter against England. He is now behind Sunil Gavaskar’s 774 runs that was set in 1971 in a 4-Test series back then. So, Gill needs a further 53 runs to achieve that feat as he is already on 722 runs.
- The highest team total at this venue is by England who posted 903/7 declared against Australia in 1934. India’s best score here is 664 in 2007.
- Joe Root needs 107 runs to get to 900 runs at the Oval as he is currently on 793 runs. If he desires to get to 1,000 runs, then he will require to score 207 runs across two innings.
- Chris Woakes has a great record at the Oval with 26 wickets at 25.33 while Ben Stokes has 12 wickets at 30 plus average.
Predicted Outcome of the Test Match.Â
Looking at all the factors and conditions in mind, it is fair to say that England will start as favourites because of the depth of their squad and they will fancy their chances of making it 3-1 in the series. The draw is possible if there is too many weather interruptions. An India win cannot be ruled out, but the visitors will have to play out of their skins, get combinations right and go onto win the match. An uphill task awaits them.
So, we feel that England will win the Test match and win series 3-1 but stranger things have happened in the past. We are sure to be in for a thriller for sure.
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