IND vs ENG Playing-11: Bumrah is certain to be out of the fifth test; Who will enter, and will Kuldeep get a chance?

Posted on 30th Jul 2025 by rohit kumar

The fifth and final Test of the series between India and England will start on Thursday, July 31. This match, to be played at The Oval ground in London, is very important for Team India. India will have to win this match at all costs to avoid losing the series. England currently has a 2-1 lead. India has performed brilliantly on this tour under the leadership of Shubman Gill. Leeds and Lord's, the two Test matches in which the Indian team lost, were very close. Team India's batsmen showed great courage to save the Manchester Test. Indian batsmen have been in form in this series. However, India's biggest problem in the last Test will be the selection of bowlers. Indian bowlers were failing in the last Test. At the same time, Team India can go with a new bowling line-up in the last Test.

 

Bumrah may get rest

News agency PTI has quoted a report as saying that India's star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is expected to be out of the fifth and final Test match under workload management. At the same time, Anshul Kamboj also failed to impress in the last Test. In such a situation, Akash Deep can return to the playing-11. He did not play the last match due to injury. Apart from this, Arshdeep Singh can get a chance to make his Test debut in place of Anshul. Both of them sweated a lot in the practice session on Tuesday. Siraj can be the third fast bowler. However, Siraj is also tired due to playing four Tests, and if he is given rest, then Prasidh Krishna will be seen playing.

 

Bumrah did not look in rhythm in Manchester.

 

World's number one bowler, 31-year-old Bumrah, did not look in rhythm in the fourth Test match played at Old Trafford. He also had to struggle with his speed. He could take only one wicket in this Test. According to ESPNcricinfo report, 'The BCCI medical team has told Bumrah that this decision has been taken to protect his back from injury and keep the future in mind.' The report said that Akash Deep, who was out of the fourth Test due to back pain, can be included in the playing-11 in place of Bumrah.

 

No decision yet on team combination

 

Earlier, head coach Gautam Gambhir had said that no decision has been taken about the team combination, and all the bowlers, including Bumrah, are fit. After the fourth Test in Manchester, Gambhir had said, 'We have not had any discussion on the team combination for the last Test. There is no decision yet on whether Jasprit Bumrah will play or not. Whoever plays will try to perform well for the country.'

 

Bumrah's speed was seen to be lacking.

 

In reply to India's 358 runs in the fourth Test, England scored a huge score of 669 runs and took a lead of 311 runs. India was successful in drawing this match. Bumrah bowled 33 overs in the first innings of the fourth Test. This is the first time he has bowled so many overs in an innings. Bumrah took two wickets for 103 runs. This was the first time in his career that he conceded more than 100 runs in a Test innings. During this series, his pace was also seen to decrease. Despite this, he took 14 wickets in the three Test matches of the series, which is equal to the team's other leading fast bowler, Mohammad Siraj.

 

Kuldeep may get a chance.

 

India's batting coach Sitashu Kotak had advocated keeping an all-rounder in his statement on Tuesday. He had talked about giving preference to an all-rounder instead of an additional fast bowler. In such a situation, Shardul Thakur's playing is considered certain. Shardul also scored a valuable 41 runs in the first innings of the Manchester Test, but questions are being raised about his bowling. Many veterans had demanded to play Kuldeep Yadav during the four Tests. The team management can also consider playing Kuldeep in place of Shardul. Kuldeep is an attacking spinner, and considering India's bowling in the last Test, he may get a chance.

 

Jurel may enter in place of Pant.

 

There is very little chance of any change in batting, except for Rishabh Pant. Pant is out of the series due to a broken toe. In such a situation, Dhruv Jurel may get a chance in his place. In the absence of Pant, he has done wicketkeeping on many occasions in this series and has played his role well. Apart from this, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar are also sure to play. Both of them batted brilliantly even in adverse conditions to save the Test in Manchester.

 

India's probable playing-11: Shubman Gill (captain), KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudarshan, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur / Kuldeep Yadav, Jaspreet Bumrah / Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Siraj / Prasidh Krishna.

 

Fatigue also dominates English players.

At the same time, the condition of England is also similar. Most of the players in the team have played all four Tests and are also tired. Captain Ben Stokes had given the same reason for demanding that the Manchester Test be declared a draw early. The next Test was to be held three days after the end of that Test. Stokes has shown great spirit in this series and has bowled marathon spells not only in batting but also in bowling, but in the last Test, he too looked in trouble, and fatigue was visible.