India look for consolation win in Alastair Cook's farewell Test

Overview
England v India
The Oval, London
5th Test
Thursday, 7 September, 11.00 local, 10.00 GMT

The time has come. After more than two months, 10 international matches and at least 21 full days of cricket, the England v India juggernaut has reached its final stop. And with it, not surprisingly, has Alastair Cook's career. The former England captain will be in for a grand farewell on Thursday, 7 September, when he takes the field for the last time in an England shirt and, needless to say, that his teammates will want to see him off with a win.

While the Indians are likely to line-up when 'The Chef' walks out to bat and give him an appropriate farewell, their generosity is more than likely to end there, as they will prefer a 3-2 scoreline at the end of the series instead of 4-1, or even 3-1, unlikely as a draw has appeared all series. For that to happen, though, India will have to pay heed to their captain Virat Kohli's words: They will have to "cross the line".

The fourth Test in Southampton, much like the first one at Edgbaston, was a case of teams fighting tooth and nail for every inch, and one team racing ahead of the other at different junctures. In the end, though, England, helped by the most heroic of efforts by 20-year-old all-rounder Sam Curran, turned the tables on the visitors after having conceded a first-innings lead and set India a target that seemed well out of their reach.

Curran made 78 in the first innings to help lift England from 86/6 to 246 and then in the second innings, when India had taken a slender 27-run lead and England found themselves 178/6, the lead only 151, Curran made 46 and combined with Jos Buttler (69) to add 55 runs for the seventh wicket and take England to safety.

As it turned out, despite a century stand between Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, both of whom hit half-centuries, India collapsed soon after Moeen Ali dismissed Kohli in the second session of the fourth day and were bowled out for 184 while chasing 245. The margin of victory was relatively small – 60 runs – but just like it was at Edgbaston, where too England had emerged victorious by 31 runs after India floundered in the fourth innings, India were left asking questions of themselves despite being in a position of strength at many points.

Perhaps of the selectorial kind: Why not an additional spinner on a surface that assisted spin quite early? Ali picked up 5/63 in the first innings and 4/71 in the second, and was adjudged Player of the Match.

The other might be the form of some of the batsmen. Kohli has been brilliant, and sits comfortably atop the scorers' chart from either side, and Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have scored runs once in a way. The others have been inconsistent.

With the series gone, maybe there will be a shot at a Test debut for Prithvi Shaw and/or Hanuma Vihari, who were both flown in for the last two Tests. Depending on the conditions, maybe Ravindra Jadeja will have a chance for a spot in the final XI too.

Although England won the last Test, their troubles with the top order are far from solved. Captain Joe Root pushed himself down to No.4 in the quest to find form, and was successful to some extent, scoring a handy 48 in the second innings. But the returns for the openers, Cook (17 and 12) and Keaton Jennings (0 and 36) have been below par. Jonny Bairstow (6 and 0) and Ben Stokes (23 and 30) failed to get big scores as well.

A lower-order revival, as has been the case quite a few times in the series, came to England's rescue in Southampton, and the bowlers did the rest. The hosts would love to sort their top-order problems before the series ends.

England have confirmed their XI will be unchanged, with a fit-again Bairstow reclaiming the gloves, and Ali set to bat at No. 3, as he did in the second innings at Southampton.

Key players

Sam Curran (England): The man with the golden arm and the golden bat has picked up eight wickets from three matches at 23.37 and has scored 251 runs at 50.20 – the best average among all England batsmen this series. He has been the thorn in India's side in all the games that he has played.

Virat Kohli (India): What would India have done without their captain? Kohli has almost single-handedly carried the team's batting on his shoulders, and despite some useful contributions from Pujara and Rahane, it is he who has been the mainstay and has looked unfazed for most parts. His 544 runs, the most in the series, at 68 bear testimony.

Conditions

The Oval in London is among the most spin-friendly pitches in England. The long boundaries square of the wicket might also encourage captains to field more than one frontline spinner. England may go in with an unchanged XI, while India may consider bringing in Jadeja. No rain has been forecast in London for the coming five days, so we should get a full-length Test match.

Squads

England XI: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes

India: Virat Kohli (c), Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Karun Nair, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Prithvi Shaw, Shardul Thakur, Hanuma Vihari, Umesh Yadav