India, down 1-2 against England in the 5-Test series, might shake things up for the last match. Jasprit Bumrah will probably sit out to manage his workload, so Arshdeep Singh or Prasidh Krishna could get a spot.
That may not be the only change at Kennington Oval. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill seem ready to make about three more adjustments to try and win.
According to the Indian Express, Karun Nair might be back for the final game, replacing all-rounder Shardul Thakur. B Sai Sudharsan had taken Nair’s place in the fourth Test because of poor performance, but it sounds like the team will give the veteran batter another shot.
With Jasprit Bumrah and Anshul Kamboj likely out, Akash Deep is in line to play. The team has a tough choice between Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna to replace Kamboj.
The report also says Arshdeep and Kuldeep Yadav might get passed over again, with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar keeping their places as the spin duo. Gambhir and Gill value what Jadeja and Sundar bring with their batting, so they’ve resisted adding Kuldeep, a true spinner, to the XI.
So, expect around four changes to the Indian team for the fifth Test.
Here’s a possible Indian XI against England for the 5th Test: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj.