England consider three changes for fifth India Test ...Middle East

England are considering freshening up their entire seam attack for this week’s decisive fifth Test against India at The Oval.

The hosts spent 257 overs in the field during the drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford that keeps the series alive going into the finale in London.

It leaves little option for England, 2-1 up heading into the final Test, other than to rotate given the workloads Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer have been put through in the series so far and the uncertainty over whether captain Ben Stokes will be fit to bowl at The Oval.

England will delay naming their team until the eve of the final Test on Thursday to give themselves as much time as possible to assess the fitness of the bowlers who played at Old Trafford.

But with just a three-day turnaround between Tests, it appears likely they will make wholesale changes to a seam attack that has bowled a combined 410 overs between them during the series.

Woakes and Carse look in particular need of a rest after playing the first four Tests, with the former never having bowled more in a single series than the 167 overs he has got through against India and the latter’s 155 overs comfortably his biggest workload so far in his nine-Test career.

Archer, who returned to Test cricket this summer for the first time in four and a half years, must surely be pulled out of the firing line given he has bowled 88 overs in the two matches he has played.

That is the most the fast bowler has got through in any series since the 156 he bowled during his debut Test series against Australia in the 2019 home Ashes.

With both Archer and Carse key bowlers for England ahead of this winter’s Ashes series in Australia, it would be a huge risk to play either at The Oval.

Woakes is also likely to be on that tour to Australia but is perhaps the one bowler England might be prepared to gamble on this week given his experience and bowling average of 17.45 against India at The Oval.

Resting all three, though, would be the obvious and sensible play.

Who could play at the The Oval instead?

Jamie Overton has been called into a 15-man squad for the fifth Test and is in contention to come straight into the XI alongside Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue.

The call-up of Overton, who played his only Test against New Zealand at Headingley in 2022, is an underwhelming one. But with Sam Cook and Matt Potts not rated by England coach Brendon McCullum, it’s not surprising.

Overton has taken just two County Championship wickets for Surrey this season at an average of 82. Yet for a regime who give little credence to domestic form, he is now in contention for a second Test appearance at his adopted home ground.

Atkinson is a more durable back-up option given his record of 55 wickets at 22.30 across his first 12 Tests.

He has not played a first-class match since sustaining a hamstring injury in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge in May but got through 30 overs in a second XI match for Surrey against Somerset at New Malden last week, taking three for 93 in the process.

Given his record, he seems almost certain to come into the team this week.

England squad for the fifth Test 

Tongue played the first two Tests and was adept at hustling out the Indian tail, taking 11 wickets in those matches at Headingley and Edgbaston.

With the 27-year-old fighting for a place on this winter’s Ashes tour, there should be no greater incentive for him to come in to the XI and impress at The Oval.

Stokes looked dead on his feet after his exploits at Old Trafford (Photo: Getty)

The situation with Stokes, who suffered with cramp and an issue with his right bicep in Manchester, means it’s already doubtful whether he will be able to bowl this week.

That would be a huge blow given his 17 wickets makes him the leading wicket-taker in the series so far and means England cannot afford to risk any bowler breaking down during the final Test.

…and Mark Wood?

Meanwhile, The i Paper understands that Mark Wood, who had been hopeful of being fit for this fifth Test, is set to make his return from a knee injury in September’s white-ball series against South Africa.

With one eye on the Ashes, England do not want to rush the fast bowler back and may be prepared to delay his comeback until the end of the summer in the knowledge he is likely to have an opportunity to get overs into his body during October’s white-ball tour of New Zealand that precedes the Ashes.

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