ENG vs IND 2018: England announce squad for the fifth Test

England has taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.

Alastair Cook will play his last Test at The Oval. | Getty

Having taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series with a 60-run victory at Southampton, England has announced its squad for the fifth Test Test against India. 

In what has been a closely contested series between two flawed but talented teams, it is home side's greater batting and bowling depth that eventually prevailed. 

India had England effectively 100/7 in the third innings at Edgbaston and 86/6 on Day 1 at Southampton, but just when it mattered the most, Virat Kohli's team were found short of answers. 

Either side of this, the visitors recovered from the embarrassment at Lord's, with a rarely dominant overseas victory at Trent Bridge, but the cracks were bound to be exposed at some stage and they were, brutally, at the picturesque Ageas Bowl. 

There are no dead rubbers in Test Cricket and with the pride on the line for the no.1 ranked Test side, there won't certainly be one at The Oval. 

Realising the same, England National Selectors have named a strong 13-man squad that sees Alastair Cook getting a fitting farewell match, having announced his retirement from the game. Cook, who has scored 12,254 runs at an average of 44.88 across 160 Tests, deserves to walk away from what he enriched on his own terms and has been, rightfully given that opportunity. 

The rest of the squad remains almost the same to the one that was there till the fourth Test. James Vince has been released.

While fast bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes might find it tough to get into the eleven with left-armer Sam Curran doing a very good supporting job, young batsman Ollie Pope will play for Surrey in the first two days of their County Championship round match against Essex and will join the rest of the team on Thursday, August 6 before the game starting Friday. 

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes

(Inputs from ECB)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 04 Sep, 2018

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