England v India 5th Test Match Prediction

The roller-coaster that is the England v India Test series is something that just keeps going. The Indian team put in another stunning display in the fourth Test to help them to overcome their chastening defeat in the third Test. This means that they cannot lose the series because they have a 2-1 lead with just one Test left to play.

The final Test of this enthralling series will be played at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester from the 10th-14th September, and this is who we think will win.

England Team Preview

England did not play that badly in the fourth Test, but they just failed to grab the initiative at key moments. In their first innings at The Oval, they had the chance to grab a big lead after bowling India out for less than 200, but they lost wickets at vital moments and could only manage a lead of 99. It is not an exaggeration for us to say that England snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

There were some positives for England though, and that was that the opening pair of Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed have been batting well and giving Joe Root some much needed support. To add to this, David Malan has looked in decent form yet again, but he will be looking for a big score this time around.

We believe that Jos Buttler will come into the team for the fifth Test, and given the way that Ollie Pope batted, we think Jonny Bairstow might be the player to sit out. England should also be quite disappointed with Moeen Ali's batting in the series so far - he has been given plenty of opportunities, but he has just thrown them away. The way that he got himself out in the first innings, when England were on top, tells you the whole story.

In the bowling department, England have been pretty good, but they toiled in the last match because they could get no support out of the surface. Since there has not been much rest between the fourth and fifth Tests, fatigue is probably going to be an issue here. James Anderson has received great support from Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, and Craig Overton, but we feel that their bowling attack is a bit one-dimensional. If Mark Wood is fit, we think he will be added to the team at Overton's expense.

India Team Preview

The chatter that was being dished out after India has a 99-run deficit in the fourth Test has quickly vanished. The main talking point had been the absence of Ravi Ashwin, but with the Indian seamers and Ravi Jadeja doing well, India's bowling department looks pretty settled. With this being said, Ashwin is not out the picture yet, as there are reports doing the rounds that he could take Mohammad Siraj's place if conditions favour the spinner.

Regardless of the team or other issues that surround them, it is fair to say that India have been really good whenever they have been under a lot of pressure. They do not only fight hard when under the pump, but they usually always end up coming out on top.

Even though they won the last Test and had plenty of positives, the gaps in the performance cannot really be overlooked. The good news for Indian fans is that Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli look in good form again. However, Ajinkya Rahane's form is not so good, and this is why we feel that we might see Hanuma Vihari or Suryakumar Yadav replace him in the fifth Test.

In the bowling department, India have been doing very well. However, when you look at the number of matches that India are scheduled to play before the World Cup, they might decide to rest Jasprit Bumrah and give Mohammad Shami a turn in the last Test. Jadeja, who received a bit of criticism for his bowling performance, will more than likely keep his spot.

Toss Prediction

Old Trafford is a pitch that is known to take spin, so the captain that goes on to win the toss is likely to choose to bat first. They will be hoping to put a huge total on the board, so that the losing captain has to bat last on a pitch that is taking spin while also having heavy scoreboard pressure on their shoulders.

Pitch Conditions

We expect a pitch that is decent to bat on at the start of the Test and then gets harder to bat on as the match progresses. If the team that bats first can score around 400, then there will be a lot of pressure on the team batting second because they will know that they will have to bat last on the pitch.

Our Match Prediction

With just one game left in the series, there is plenty to play for. England will not want to lose a Test series on home soil, while India will be eager to get a rare series win in England. To add to this, there are World Test Championship points up for grabs, which will eventually determine who will compete in the final. India have been the more dominant side in this series and have the upper hand, and if we were to compare the form of both sides, we would have to put our money on India to win and take a 3-1 series victory.

Our match prediction: