England vs India – 5th Test Match Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is England vs India taking place? Friday, July 1st, 2022 – 10:30 (UK)
Where is England vs India taking place? Edgbaston, Birmingham
What is the expected weather for England vs India? 16-19c cloudy with sunny intervals across the five days and light wind on Days 3 and 4, but a chance of light rain showers in the afternoon of Day 2.
What channel is England vs India on? The match will be televised live on Sky Sports for UK viewers
Where can I stream England vs India? Sky Sports subscribers in the UK can stream this match live via the Sky Go app
LAST MEETING
India beat England by 157 runs
THE TEAM NEWS
ENGLAND
- The England Test side are currently riding the crest of a wave after having swept World Test champions New Zealand 3-0 following three consecutive fourth innings chases of over 250 runs, underlining the confidence of the team under new captain Ben Stokes and new head coach Brendon McCullum.
- Following an good performance by Jamie Overton in the third Test against New Zealand on debut, England have a tough decision on whether to keep him in the team with James Anderson expected to return and spin-bowler Jack Leach likely to keep his place following his ten wickets at Headingley.
- After testing positive for Covid-19 during that third Test, wicket-keeper Ben Foakes was replaced by Sam Billings who has been named in the squad to face India and is on standby should Foakes not be able to return in time for this one-off Test match.
INDIA
- India, like New Zealand before them have seen Covid-19 put a huge spanner in their preparation plans to face England, meaning that much uncertainty remains as to the team they will field at Edgbaston.
- Skipper Rohit Sharma is currently isolating in a hotel having tested positive for the virus and will only be cleared to play should he test negative on Wednesday night, otherwise Rohit will be forced to miss out which could see fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah captaining the side.
- A groin injury has already sidelined Rohit’s vice-captain KL Rahul, leaving India potentially without their two first-choice openers and Mayank Agarwel has been called up to the squad at short notice, with the expectation being that either he or Cheteshwar Pujara will open the batting with Shubman Gill.
THE PREDICTION
India have returned to England looking to seal the series they led by two matches to one back in summer 2021 before a Covid-19 outbreak within their camp saw the fifth Test called off just hours before the scheduled start of play. Of course, that was a very different England led by Joe Root and Chris Silverwood, a team who preferred to err on the side of caution and one which lacked the confidence to go out and take the fight to their opponents. Less than 12 months on and this new era of ‘Bazball’ is in full effect with England reaping the rewards having won three Tests in a row.
From the moment it was announced that Ravichandran Ashwin had to delay his arrival into England following a positive Covid-19 diagnosis, it has been anything but plain sailing for the tourists in terms of getting themselves ready for this game. However, this an Indian side gifted with remarkable strength-in-depth, experienced leaders across the group and some of the best players in the world. The last time Virat Kohli played red ball cricket at Edgbaston, he scored a magnificent hundred and having since left the captaincy behind, Kohli will be determined to remind everyone why he is still considered by many as the best batter on the planet.
Despite this, the presence of players such as Kohli cannot mask the issues plaguing India at the top of the order. KL Rahul’s absence is bad enough, but even if Rohit was to recover from Covid in time to play, his lack of preparation may well be exposed against a match-fit and firing England bowling attack. Combine that with the hosts’ batting resurgence and their newly-found fearless approach and it looks a very tall order for India to match their intensity, especially having played just one red ball warm-up fixture leading into this Test match. Therefore, backing England to triumph and level the five-match series at 2-2 has to be considered the smart play.
