Toss Trouble Again! England Put India in to Bat at The Oval, Visitors Make 4 Big Changes
The toss curse continues for India! In the high-stakes decider at The Oval, England won the toss yet again and chose to bowl first under cloudy skies and on a green top — a no-brainer given the conditions.
With regular skipper Ben Stokes out injured, Ollie Pope stepped in as captain and didn’t think twice before asking India to bat first. England’s decision follows a clear trend: every captain winning the toss in the last 22 first-class matches at The Oval — including four Tests — has opted to bowl. That’s no coincidence. Since 2023, fast bowlers have snapped up a whopping 617 wickets here, compared to just 79 by spinners. Clearly, The Oval has become a paradise for seamers.
Shubman Gill, leading India, joked before the match that the toss was what had been keeping him up at night. He called heads — as he has all tour — but luck wasn’t on his side once again. India now start this must-win game trailing 1-2 in the series and with a lot of work to do.
India have made four changes to their playing XI. Jasprit Bumrah (rested for workload management), Rishabh Pant (recovering from a broken foot), and young Anshul Kamboj sit out. In come Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel, and a fully-fit Akash Deep. The final change raised eyebrows — batter Karun Nair replaced all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who hasn’t bowled much this series (just 27 overs in two Tests), suggesting a tactical shift in India’s approach.
England had announced their playing XI in advance. With Stokes, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, and Liam Dawson out, they brought in Jacob Bethell, Josh Tongue, Jamie Overton, and Gus Atkinson.
Playing XIs:
England Playing XIs :
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (capt), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue
India Playing XIs :
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (capt), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj
Will India fight back and level the series, or will England continue their home dominance? Stay tuned!
