Match cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic
10:20 local, 14:50 IST: Alright, that is all we have from this game for now. Hearing that there are discussions going on as to whether the match can go ahead at a later date (next year) or if this can still be declared as forfeited. BCCI, ECB and ICC in a conflab is all we can assume at the moment as dark clouds hang over the iconic Old Trafford in Manchester. Let's hope we get an official update, sooner rather than later, which should also put an end to all the debates surrounding WTC points. All in all, it's been a fantastic series and an absolute pleasure bringing you every bit of it. Until next time, and on behalf of Ramakrishnan MS and Siva, this will be me, Raju Peethala, waving goodbye. Onto IPL next. See you soon!!
Here's an official statement from the ECB: "Following ongoing conversations with the BCCI, the ECB can confirm that the fifth Test between England and India Men due to start today at Emirates Old Trafford, will be cancelled. Due to fears of a further increase in the number of COVID cases inside the camp, India are regrettably unable to field a team"
08:50 local, 13:20 IST: Uh-oh! You don't prepare for days like these. Not the ideal news for those of you who'd expected to watch some cricket updates. The fifth and final Test match is cancelled.
Preview by Kaushik Rangarajan
There is an unmissable buzz around Manchester, a little more than what may be considered normal for the city this time of year. There's a disruptive spurt in sales of red-coloured shirts bearing the number 7. Murals in Salford and in and around the Greater Manchester area have been re-done amid the frenzied fervour of Cristiano Ronaldo's reunion with the Theatre of Dreams. Many million eyes, it is said, will be on Old Trafford this weekend.
There are dreams harboured this week across the street at the other Old Trafford, where Virat Kohli & Co. hold a 2-1 series lead and stand on the cusp of a historic Anglo-Australian double. But a day out from the final showdown, India have been pegged back by the pandemic again, as assistant physio Yogesh Parmar has tested positive for covid-19. India's training on the eve had to be cancelled as a consequence, while the fate of the Test itself remains in the balance. There's now an anxious wait for the results of the tests conducted on the Indian players.
If all is well and the game goes on - like it did in London last week - all the signs point to India ending their 14-year drought. Having promised but ultimately come up short in 2018, this is a chance the Indian captain will be desperate not to let slip through his fingers even though he has often played down the weight of history. Winning in Australia and England as an Indian Test captain is quite the accolade to have on a cricket resume - even one already as impressive as his. To do so in a Covid-ravaged year that has hit the team from so close ought to magnify that achievement manyfolds.
England, by contrast, have lost six of their last nine Tests. They are not just reeling from the unavailability of a few top talents but also from the collateral of the said absence on the others. James Anderson and Ollie Robinson have sent down 163.3 and 166.4 overs respectively in the four Tests thus far and have had just a three-day turnover to try and summon something from their reserves for a series-levelling push.
All this isn't to suggest an Indian victory in the series finale is a foregone conclusion. Over four yo-yoing Tests, each team has ceded control to the other at different junctures. India are not immune to batting collapses of their own, and first-innings slip-ups of the sort that knocked them out at Headingley and threatened to derail their campaign at The Oval are not outlier events. England do have to face the unpalatable truth of finishing the home summer without a series win, but they still have a part to play in a match that is anything but valedictory.
When: England vs India, 5th Test, September 10-14, 11:00 Local; 15:30 IST
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
What to expect: Scattered showers have been forecast for the opening two days of the Test. The pitch, like always, will be the subject of much intrigue. For the Hundred competition, Old Trafford threw up slow, spinning surfaces. Last week's County Championship game between Lancashire and Warwickshire saw a return to the norm with big first-innings scores.
Since 2015, The average first-innings total here is 435 - the highest for a UK venue to have hosted more than one Test. However, the average second innings total of 238 is the lowest in this period with spinners coming in to play. Expect captains to brave the early weather and opt to bat first.
Team News:
England
Joe Root has a number of decisions to make, not least whether Anderson and Robinson are good to go one more time after their heavy workloads in the series to date. Given the must-win nature of the game, chances are both will play. Mark Wood is also set for a recall, perhaps in place of Craig Overton. The decision in the top six is whether Ollie Pope or Jonny Bairstow bats at number five. Pope, who scored runs at the Oval, is favourite.
Probable XI: Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, James Anderson
India
India didn't train on the eve of the game in keeping with the developing Covid-19 situation. Their final XI will be a function of any subsequent ramifications. However, from a cricketing perspective, they are unlikely to swap Ajinkya Rahane out just yet despite his modest batting returns. Mayank Agarwal and Hanuma though will be on standby if either of Rohit Sharma or Cheteshwar Pujara don't recover adequately from their knee and ankle injuries respectively.
A change is also likely in the bowling unit with both Siraj and Bumrah having featured in four straight Tests. The strains of the long tour is likely to cost Siraj, who might be replaced by Mohammed Shami, while Bumrah, a central figure of the attack, might be persisted with for another game given the high stakes. Even with the promise of spin later in the Test, India may not tinker with their 4-1 pace-spin combination that has served them well.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah
Did you know?
- Only twice in their history have India have won three Tests in an overseas series: 3-1 in New Zealand in 1967/68 and 3-0 in Sri Lanka in 2017.
- Anderson hasn't picked a five-wicket haul in nine Tests at his home venue.
- Bumrah has bowled 207.4 overs this English summer in all first-class cricket. It is the most for him in a season since his Test debut in 2018. He's also two shy of surpassing Bhuvneshwar Kumar's wickets tally of 19 from the 2014 tour of England.
What they said:
"He is the vice-captain of this team. He is a senior player and he is integral to what we are about. I know his output in terms of runs in this series has not been as high as he would like or as we would like but we know what a great player he is and how important he can be to turning a Test match" - Joe Root on why the returning Jos Buttler comes straight back into the XI despite his form.
Squads:
India Squad: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant(w), Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mayank Agarwal, Suryakumar Yadav, Hanuma Vihari, Axar Patel, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Prithvi Shaw
England Squad: Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Joe Root(c), Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler(w), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Jack Leach, Craig Overton, Daniel Lawrence, Sam Curran