India to make one last push to square series against Stokes-less England in fifth Test starting today
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The action on the field has been so intense and protracted in the four Tests that you would have thought any downtime would be a chance to be still, calm, regroup and return with energy topped up. But that's not how things panned out.India were fuming, led by Gautam Gambhir, who didn't warm to the Oval curator, Lee Fortis, to put it mildly.As with every story, there are two sides, but clearly India felt strongly enough at what they perceived to be discriminatory treatment that the issue has taken centre stage. At the heart of the matter is the pitch.Traditionally, the Oval is a batting beauty and this Test being played at the end of a warm summer means there's some hard work ahead for the bowlers. If India are aggrieved enough to carry that feeling into the game, and channel it into motivation, even determination, that would be no bad thing. But, if they allow an 'us against the world' mentality to fester, they could take their eyes off the real prize.A 2-2 result would be a good one for a team that arrived on English shores with a new captain, legends freshly retired and an inexperienced fast bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah, whose mind was on workload mana g ement as much as on opposition wickets.You can' t blame Bumrah in the slightest: he's not actually choosing to rest; rather he is eking out every last bit of physical energy from his body and trying to maximise its efficacy in the team's cause.That said, India will miss Bumrah sorely, even if this gives Akash Deep, who missed the last Test with a niggle, a chance to build on the huge strides he has made in his nascent career. Deep has proven that he has what it takes.Now it's time to reinforce the faith the management has in him by turning potential into performance. India will be tempted to bring Kuldeep Yadav into the mix, but, with Rishab Pant out of action, they will want to shore up the batting.Dhruv Jurel has been excellent behind the stumps and in front, in the limited opportunities he has got, but India will take inspiration from earlier in the series when they picked what everyone believed was a defensive team and pulled off a stunning win. For once , England's selection issues are bigger than India's. Ben Stokes has been ruled out with what is believed to be a muscle tear in the shoulder, though he didn't confirm the exact nature of his injury on match eve.'The risk was way too high for damaging this any further than it currently is,' Stokes said. 'It's obviously very, very disappointing. It was risk reward. I'll always try to push myself as much as I possibly can. Being a professional sportsman, injuries are part of this game and I can't do anything about that.' Stokes's injury left England with plenty of tinkering to do. They made four changes to the team that was stonewalled by India in Manchester with Jacob Bethell, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue coming in.Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse were rested while Liam Dawson was left out with conventional wisdom suggesting that seamers had a better chance of success at the Oval.But, more than Stokes the player — who's been majestic with ball and bat — it's the leader who'll be missed. Ollie Pope will stand in, but the question is whether England can retain their essential character without their guiding light. As a stand-in, Pope will look to carry on what Stokes has set in place and his reaction and behaviour when the team is in a tight spot will be carefully watched.The final Test brings the curtain down on a long and defining series for India. Gambhir does not like to call this a team in transition — he sees it simply as the best team India can put on the park at the moment — but the fact of the matter is that this has been a steep learning curve. Just for that the experience was worth it. But, in the highpressure world of international cricket you are judged by results.If India can make one final push and square the series, there is no doubt they will be the happier team at the end of the day. Hopefully, bat and ball will have the final say, and the grumpiness, tetchiness and ill feeling between two very good teams can end with a handshake and a feeling of genuine mutual respect.
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2 hours ago
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Kuldeep should have played at Lords and Manchester: Sourav Ganguly
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'In the past, great sides had great spinners, whether it's Shane Warne, Murali, England's Swann, Panesar, India's Kumble, Harbhajan, Ashwin. So, I think Kuldeep is someone India will have to continue to look into playing in the future." Ganguly, however, felt it was okay for India to leave out Kuldeep for the fifth Test, as the wicket might offer more assistance to the pacers. He also expressed confidence that India would win the final game and level the intensely fought series. 'England have gone on with four pacers and no spinners, it could be that they have left a bit more grass on it than the normal surface and that's why India have not gone with a third spinner because they have Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. 'I'm just presuming and have not seen the wicket." Ganguly also urged fans not to pass a judgement on Anshul Kamboj after just one game, and expressed surprise at seamer Mukesh Kumar's absence. Kamboj had a forgettable debut at Manchester, returning figures of 1/89 after he was called up to replace an injured Akash Deep. 'Don't judge Anshul Kamboj on one Test. He has picked wickets in domestic cricket. Give him six-seven Tests before judging him. 'But having said that, I'm surprised not to see Mukesh Kumar in the national squad, especially with the red ball. 'His numbers in domestic cricket have been phenomenal, and these conditions would have been ideal for him. Hopefully, he will get his chance in future — he's a young pacer." Downplays Gambhir-curator spat ====================== Ganguly also preferred to play down the pitch-side spat between India coach Gautam Gambhir and Surrey curator Lee Fortis at The Oval. 'I really don't know why Gambhir was upset. I'm sure all coaches and captains have discussions with the groundsmen — sometimes happily, sometimes unhappily. It's happened in my time, it's going to happen in future also. So let's not just make too much out of it. I wish India play well, win the Test and level the series." Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak were inspecting the central square at The Oval as Fortis, through a messenger, reportedly asked them to stay 2.5 metres away from the playing surface, something which did not go down well with the India head coach. Phenomenal batting ============= India came agonisingly close in the Lord's Test, but a modest fourth-innings target of 193 proved elusive as they fell short by 22 runs, going 1-2 down in the series. It then took a valiant effort from KL Rahul (90) and centuries from skipper Shubman Gill (103), Washington Sundar (101 not out), and Ravindra Jadeja (107 not out) at No. 4, 5 and 6 respectively to help India survive 143 overs and draw the Manchester Test to keep the series alive. 'India should have won the Lord's Test. India really played well at Manchester and it feels more sad to see them scoring about 400 on the fifth day and not being able to chase 190 to win the Lord's Test. If they bowl well, I'm sure they will win at The Oval." Ganguly was effusive in his praise for the Indian batting unit, which has so far produced 11 centuries in four Tests — four by Gill, two each by Rishabh Pant and Rahul, and one apiece by Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. 'After a long time I've seen an Indian batting lineup where everyone — top order, middle order, lower — scoring Test match hundreds, which is so great to see." Outstanding Gill ============ Ganguly also hailed Gill's leadership after he took over the Test captaincy from Rohit Sharma after the latter's retirement, as the team went into a transition phase with Virat Kohli and R Ashwin also calling it quits. 'Gill has been outstanding, and it shows that if you give responsibility, you will get people to deliver. He has batted superbly in this series. It makes me extremely proud to see that there are so many quality players in Indian cricket. The quality has been fantastic throughout the series." Asked about Bengal's failure to win the Ranji Trophy since 1989-90, when he made his debut, Ganguly pointed out that they have made the finals of the premier domestic tournament multiple times since then. 'They have reached the final multiple times (five) but not been able to cross the final hurdle. It's a big tournament with 38 teams. It shows they are a good side. I myself have played three finals after 1989-90." On Abhimanyu Easwaran, who has been travelling with the squad in England, Ganguly said the Bengal top-order batter's time would come. 'He will surely get his chance. I'm sure he would play Test cricket at some point of time," Ganguly concluded. PTI TAP TAP AH AH (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 31, 2025, 19:45 IST News agency-feeds Kuldeep should have played at Lords and Manchester: Sourav Ganguly Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
