What should India work on to win the last Test against England?
In the fourth Test of the ongoing England-India series, the England top order failed to score and yet again, it was their middle order that showed positive intent and ch the course of the match in their favor.
Much of the credit should go to Jos Buttler and Sam Curran, and Chris Woakes in the Lord’s Test. However, in the fourth Test, Moeen Ali’s spin troubled India more than the swing of the pace bowlers. Ali picked up nine wickets in total, which included a five-wicket haul in the first innings.
For India to win the fifth match, they should work on these following aspects:
#1 Openers should play a long inning and produce a good start, as they performed in the third Test that India won. Reports have stated that there is a possibility that India may play 18-year-old Prithvi Shaw in place of Shikhar Dhawan or KL Rahul.
#2 In the middle order, players like Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant also need to score big runs. Here, too, India may make a change as Ravichandran Ashwin did not look 100% fit in the fourth Test, therefore, India may give a chance to Jadeja, who has not played a single Test in this tour.
#3 India needs to get through England’s lower middle order quickly because it is due to these batsmen that India lost the first Test, the fourth Test and with that the series.
England have selected the same squad for the fifth Test, and there will not be any change in their opening pair, the reason being they have already won the series. The hosts are seemingly happy to give them one more chance and the other reason being Alastair Cook’s last Test match.
England would want to give him a grand send-off with a win and Cook himself would want to leave with a good knock. With Ali bowling well, England may make only one change by picking Woakes or Pope in place of Rashid. Get ready for another interesting Test match!