ENG v IND 2018: 5th Test – India playing for pride; whereas England bids farewell to Cook

Alastair Cook will play his last 161st and final Test match.

Alastair Cook will play his last 161st and final Test match | Getty The fifth and final Test match between England and India is to be played at the Oval ground in London. England has already won the series with a 3-1 lead over India with wins at Edgbaston, Lord’s and Southampton, while India won the 3rd Test at Nottingham to keep the series alive.

It will remain a series where India should have come into the final Test 2-2 but lost the Tests at Edgbaston and Southampton due to the failure of their batting lineup as they couldn’t chase a total just beyond 200 runs.

England, on the other hand, won the series due to their bowlers, as even their top order failed to make runs, but their bowlers picked up some easy wickets, due to ineptness from Indian batting lineup.

The series which should have been fought more closely became an embarrassment for the visitors as they let it slip from their hands since they fought back brilliantly in every Test except Lord’s, where they were beaten comprehensively.

England will look to win this Test and gift their former captain Alastair Cook, who will retire from international cricket after this game, a farewell 4-1 series win. Cook will retire after having played 161 Tests; 159 of those were played consecutively. He remains the highest run-getter for England in Tests and international cricket, along with their highest century maker.

India will wish to win one back to get a respectable looking 2-3 series loss, but the fact that they lost the series in the fourth Test itself, will come back to haunt them.

Toss: 

England have won the toss and have opted to bat

Playing XIs-

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

India : Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah

 
 

By Jatin Sharma - 07 Sep, 2018

    Share Via