How India might line-up for the final Test against England
After losing to the hosts at the Ageas Bowl in the Fourth Test by 60 runs, Team India has conceded the series to England. Facing an unassailable lead of 3-1 going into the final Test, the Indian team play the English hosts in a dead rubber match at The Oval.
But that does not mean that the final Test will be a dull affair by any stretch of the imagination. Pride is still at stake for this Indian team and a 3-2 series loss will sting much less than a 4-1 thrashing.
This match will also be very important for some of the players who have spent most of the tour sitting on the sidelines. They are finally expected to be played in this match as a reward for their patience and will be eager to show their value to the team management.
With all that in mind, let us take a look at India's predicted XI for the fifth and final test at the Kia Oval in London.
Openers: Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw
Opening has been a huge weakness for Team India on this tour. None of the openers have been able to make a significant contribution to the team in any of the past four Tests. As a result, the team management is expected to make some changes in this position in the final match.
This change will come in the form of 18-year-old prodigy Prithvi Shaw replacing the struggling KL Rahul. While both Dhawan and Rahul have been flops on the tour so far, Dhawan has at least shown some signs of life in the last two matches. Rahul's form on the other hand has gone from bad to worse.
While Dhawan's slip catching is very suspect, the team cannot keep picking Rahul based on just that aspect of his game anymore. Shaw and Dhawan will also provide the team with a left-right combination at the top.