After their thrilling escape in Manchester, India head into the fifth and final Test against England at The Oval brimming with confidence and with momentum on their side.
No one gave India a chance after England's massive 311 run first innings lead, but the visitors staged a sensational comeback with the bat in the second innings, powered by centuries from Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, alongside a gritty 90 from K L Rahul.
India batted for 143 overs in their second innings to clinch a hard-fought draw which captain Gill aptly described as 'no less than a win for us.'
However, the job isn't done as India brace up for a do-or-die Test at The Oval in London, starting on Thursday. Like most venues in the UK, India don't boast of an encouraging record at this venue, with just two wins from 15 Tests, and six defeats.
Their only two victories at The Oval came in 1971 and recently in 2021, when Virat Kohli-led India bounced back after conceding a 99 run first innings lead to register a thumping 157 run victory.
India's last Test at this ground was in June 2023 in the World Test Championship Final against Australia, in which they suffered a crushing 209 run defeat.
On current form, England definitely won't underestimate India. Despite trailing 1-2, the visitors have repeatedly defied the odds in the first four Tests, proving they can claw back from hopeless situations.
For India, the Oval Test is a chance to rectify the errors from the previous game. Manchester exposed glaring selection blunders, but they did well to narrowly escape disaster.
Anshul Kamboj's selection gamble backfired big time. The 24-year-old pacer, a surprise pick for the Manchester Test, was woefully out of depth in his debut game. His pedestrian pace saw him hammered for 89 runs in 18 overs, claiming just one wicket.
He speed range in the 120kmph didn't impress former coach Ravi Shastri, who branded him as 'military medium' and warned that 'questions will be asked' if he doesn't fare well.
With such a large coaching staff including so many support staff members, it is baffling how Kamboj's lack of pace was overlooked in training, leading to the bizarre decision to pick him over Prasidh Krishna.
Kamboj is certain to be dropped. The debate now is who replaces him. Will India stick with three specialist pacers, or will spinner Kuldeep Yadav finally get his chance?
Kuldeep has been buzzed about right through the first five Tests but is yet to play, with India favoring a batting-heavy line-up featuring all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur to lengthen their batting all the way to No. 8.
All three justified their inclusion with their batting displays but their lack of impact with the ball raises concerns.
India could look at this scenario for The Oval Test. If they trust Shardul as the third pacer, they could look to bring in Kuldeep, even if it means three spinners in the playing XI. Jadeja and Sundar's batting form should ease concerns, allowing India to field five specialist bowlers.
In their last Test win at the Oval in 2021, Jadeja played a role with the ball, taking four wickets in the match while sending down a total of 47 overs. The pace attack had nearly the same composition fours year ago with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur having featured in that game.
Given the trend seen in the series so far, it won't be a surprise if the curator prepares a similar pitch, which flattens out once the ball loses shine, offering plenty of runs.
If the pitch is similar to Manchester, Kuldeep could prove to be a game-changer. However, with the BBC predicting rain on the first two days, conditions might favor an extra pacer.
The biggest selection dilemma is strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Having bowled 119.4 overs across three Tests, will India risk him after just three days' rest?
The Indian team management has kept its card close to their chest. There is a feeling in and around the Indian camp that Bumrah is unlikely to sit out this crunch game, especially with a long break looming post-series.
On the personal front, Bumrah will be eager to improve his Oval record, where he has taken seven wickets in two Tests at an average of 34.
His pace partner Mohammed Siraj, who has played all four Tests, has shouldered the burden with the ball. He has sent down the most overs by an Indian bowler in the series -- 139 overs in four Tests -- in which he has picked 14 wickets an average of 39.71.
India's batting will once again revolve around their two star performers in Gill and Rahul. Gill has proved to be unstoppable with the bat in the series, piling up 722 runs at an average of 90.25, with four centuries.
Senior pro Rahul has been a rock at the top, scoring 511 runs at 63.87, with two centuries and two fifties in his most prolific series yet.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has lost his spark after a strong start, managing just 71 runs in his last four innings, including two ducks.
India are likely to back young Sai Sudharsan at No. 3 after his gritty 61 in the first innings at Manchester, despite falling for a duck in the second.
Rishabh Pant's injury is a massive setback. His explosive 479 runs at a 77.63 strike rate, with two centuries and two fifties, had England's bowlers on the ropes and fans cheering for him.
While Dhruv Jurel is quite capable behind the stumps, matching Pant's fireworks with the bat will be a tough ask.
England might also freshen up their attack after the grueling workload by their bowlers in Manchester, when they bowled five sessions in a row without much impact. Jofra Archer has made an immediate impact after a long injury lay-off with nine wickets from two Tests, but also sent down 88.3 overs across the four innings.
The experienced Chris Woakes has bowled 167 overs in the four Tests. Captain Ben Stokes, despite struggling with cramps, has bowled a total of 140 overs across the first four Tests. Seamer Brydon Carse must also be tired after a total of 155 overs in the series so far. England could opt for some fresh legs in Gut Atkinson and seam bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton.
Overall, India's batters have been dominant with a total of 11 centuries in the first four Tests, while England's batters have scored seven tons between them.
India and England's top batters in the first four Tests:
| India | Tests | Runs | Average | 50s | 100s | England | Tests | Runs | Average | 50s | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shubman Gill | 4 | 722 | 90.25 | - | 4 | Joe Root | 4 | 403 | 67.16 | 1 | 2 |
| K L Rahul | 4 | 511 | 63.87 | 2 | 2 | Ben Duckett | 4 | 365 | 52.14 | 2 | 1 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 4 | 454 | 113.50 | 4 | 1 | Ben Stokes | 4 | 304 | 43.42 | - | 1 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 4 | 291 | 36.37 | 2 | 1 | Zak Crawley | 4 | 212 | 30.28 | 2 | - |
| Rishabh Pant | 4 | 479 | 68.42 | 3 | 2 | Ollie Pope | 4 | 257 | 36.71 | 1 | 1 |
| Sai Sudharsan | 2 | 91 | 22.75 | 1 | - | Harry Brook | 4 | 317 | 45.28 | 1 | 1 |
| Washington Sundar | 3 | 205 | 51.25 | - | 1 | Jamie Smith | 4 | 424 | 84.80 | 2 | 1 |
Who will India pick for the Oval Test? Will they include five specialist bowlers? Will Kuldeep finally get a game?
Probable XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, K L Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (Captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav.
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for the fifth Test against England?
Please select your team from the list below and do post your playing XI in the message board below: