The fifth Test i.e., the rescheduled Test between England and India will begin on July 1 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The final game of last year’s Test series between the two sides was postponed due to the COVID-19 scare.

The Indian side currently leads the series by a 2-1 margin. However, they will be coming up against a new-look England side this time around. Their style of playing has received praise from all over the world.

England’s fearless approach in the longest format resulted in them whitewashing New Zealand in a recent three-match Test series. Ben Stokes has been leading by example and the Brendon McCullum-Stokes era has got off to a perfect start.

They are now set to face India and Stokes has confirmed that they will continue to play similarly.

The Indian side has been hit by COVID-19 as skipper Rohit Sharma tested positive and is doubtful for the Test, starting on Friday. Senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah is likely to lead the side in his absence. Virat Kohli did a fine job of captaining the team and getting the lead in the series. They will now look to complete a series win in Birmingham.

Mayank Agarwal has been added to the Indian squad as a backup opener.

India did face Leicestershire in a four-day warm-up match ahead of the Test which ended in a draw. They will be eager to step up and challenge this high-flying English side at home.

ENG TEAM NEWS

Jamie Overton made his England Test debut at Headingley and scored 97 in the first innings. Primarily picked as a bowler, he took a wicket in each innings but we expect him to be replaced by the returning Jimmy Anderson. Ben Foakes has recovered from illness and should take his place as wicket-keeper in the XI.

ENG KEY PLAYERS

Joe Root – The England number four batter made only 5 runs in the first innings but bounced back in the second innings. He has scored 27 Test centuries and is top of the Test rankings.

Jonny Bairstow – The middle-order batter hit his second successive Test century last Friday. His last three innings in this format are 136, 162, and 71 not-out.

Jimmy Anderson – The 39-year-old swing bowler has 651 Test wickets and will be refreshed after sitting out the Test in Leeds last week. He will relish resuming his battle with Virat Kohli.

ENG TEAM FORM

England is targeting their fourth successive Test victory in this match. They have not won more than three Tests on the bounce since November 2018.

IND TEAM NEWS

Preparations for this Test have been interrupted due to injuries and illness but there is no doubt that India will take to the field with a very strong Test XI. KL Rahul, who had been in excellent form across all formats, will be missed at the top of the order and we expect to see Shubman Gill take his place.

IND KEY PLAYERS

Virat Kohli – The 33-year-old has not been in the best Test form in recent games but is still one of the most feared hitters in world cricket. He averages 49.95 in Test cricket.

Mohammed Shami – The right-arm fast bowler was in good form in the warm-up fixture against a Leicestershire XI in June. He returned figures of 3-42 in the first innings in that game.

Jasprit Bumrah – The pace bowler is now vice-captain of the team and is a threat on any surface. With overhead conditions potentially aiding him, he could be a real danger to England once again.

IND TEAM FORM

India won their last two Tests, home victories against Sri Lanka earlier this year. However, they lost their last two away Tests, against South Africa in January.

ENGLAND VS INDIA MATCH DETAILS:

Match: England vs India, 5th Test, India tour of England, 2022
Date and Time: July 1, Friday, 2022, 03:00 PM IST
Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham

ENGLAND VS INDIA PITCH REPORT

The pitch at Edgbaston is a balanced track. The new ball bowlers will get some lateral movement off the surface and the batters will have to be on their toes early in their innings.

Once they spend some time in the middle, they can start playing their strokes freely.

ENGLAND VS INDIA WEATHER FORECAST

Temperatures in Birmingham on the opening day of the Test are expected to range between 11 and 18 degrees Celsius. There will be a cloud cover throughout the next five days.

ENGLAND VS INDIA PROBABLE XI

ENGLAND PROBABLE XI

Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Sam Billings (wk), Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

INDIA PROBABLE XI

Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal/Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Mohammad Siraj

ENGLAND VS INDIA MATCH PREDICTION

The rescheduled Test between England and India will begin on July 1 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The result of this test will decide the series and expect both sides to come out hard against each other.