India are reportedly going back to a similar team combination that earned them their solitary win in the ongoing Test tour of England.

The Shubman Gill-led side is trailing 1-2 in the five-match series, with their only victory coming at Edgbaston in the second Test.

The visitors are facing a must-win situation in the fifth and final Test to ensure that they don’t concede the series to England.

According to a report in The Indian Express, Karun Nair is set to return to the playing XI after being sidelined from the fourth Test at Old Trafford. The right-hander showed class in first three Tests but failed to convert his starts into meaningful scores.

The report suggests that India are looking to bolster their batting order for the series-decider. With the pitch at The Oval having a layer of grass on the match eve, Nair could play an extra batter.

In this case, all-rounder Shardul Thakur will likely face the axe due to his dismal show in the penultimate Test. Nair has amassed 131 runs from six innings on the tour with a best of 40, and the fifth Test could be another lifeline for him to retain his place in the Test squad.

Nair was promoted to No. 3 after Sai Sudharsan was dropped for his failure in the series opener at Headingley. However, both are expected to keep their spots this time around. Dhruv Jurel will replace Rishabh Pant, who was ruled out with a broken foot.

Should the fifth Test be played on a green pitch, wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav may have to warm the bench for the entire tour.

India have not ruled out Jasprit Bumrah’s appearance in the fifth Test despite him already playing three matches as decided before the series to manage his workload.

Should he sit out, Akash Deep could make his return alongside Prasidh Krishna, the report claims. In that scenario, left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh will have to wait longer for his Test debut.