The highly anticipated fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 at The Oval is set for a dramatic turn, with England captain Ben Stokes officially ruled out due to injury. This is a significant blow for the home side, given Stokes’ impactful all-round performances throughout the series. In his absence, Ollie Pope will step up to lead England.
England’s Squad for the 5th Test:Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (C), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue.
BEN STOKES RULED OUT OF THE 5th TEST vs INDIA
England 11 – Crawley, Duckett, Pope (C), Root, Brook, Bethell, Jamie Smith, Woakes, Atkinson, Overton, Tongue. pic.twitter.com/LPTGqJLa6H
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 30, 2025
Series 2-1
The series has been a captivating battle of attrition and skill. It kicked off at Headingley, where England secured a convincing 5-wicket victory, chasing down a challenging 371 thanks to Ben Duckett’s magnificent 149. India’s batting, despite individual centuries, couldn’t quite seal the deal.India roared back in the second Test at Edgbaston, leveling the series with a dominant 336-run win. Captain Shubman Gill led from the front with a monumental 269 in the first innings, showcasing his growing maturity. Akash Deep, stepping in for Jasprit Bumrah, was the star with the ball, picking up 10 wickets in the match.
The third Test at Lord’s was a nail-biting affair, with England reclaiming the lead by a narrow 22 runs. Joe Root’s century and Ben Stokes’ all-round brilliance, including a five-wicket haul, were crucial. India, despite a valiant lower-order fightback led by Ravindra Jadeja’s resilient 61*, fell just short in a thrilling chase.The fourth Test in Manchester culminated in a hard-fought draw, a testament to India’s resilience. England amassed a colossal 669 in their first innings, with Ben Stokes smashing 141 and Joe Root adding to his series runs. India’s second innings began disastrously at 0/2, but a heroic partnership between captain Shubman Gill (103) and KL Rahul (87), followed by centuries from Ravindra Jadeja (107*) and Washington Sundar (101*), ensured India batted out the final day to secure a draw.
Both Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj battled niggles for India, while Stokes himself played through a bicep tendon issue.With the series poised at 2-1, the stage is set for an enthralling decider at The Oval. India will be looking to level the series, while England, under new leadership for this Test, will aim to clinch the trophy.
India’s Updated Squad for the 5th Test:Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, N Jagadeesan (WK).