IND vs ENG 2021: 3 crucial factors to watch out for in the final Test

Hosts England take on India in the fifth and final Test of the 5-match series at Old Trafford, starting Friday. India beat England by 157 runs in the 4th Test at the Oval to take a 2-1 lead in the series. England’s inability to win the final Test would lead to a historic series win for India in England after 13 years.

On that note, let's take a look at the 3 factors which might stand out in the final Test of the series:

1. England’s batting woes

It has been a forgettable year for most of the English Test batsmen, and the odds would be against them in the final Test as well. Their talismanic captain Joe Root has had a wonderful series which has seen him score 564 runs in the 4 Tests played so far. However, he has often waged a lone battle against the formidable Indian pace attack, and can definitely do with some help from his compatriots in the fifth Test.

The English team management has been making changes to their batting line-up throughout the series so far, but the problems seem to persist. However, Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed have provided some stability at the top of the batting order after the likes of Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley failed to deliver at the start of the series.

Ollie Pope made a battling 81 in the first innings of the fourth Test, and seems to be a better option at the no.6 position than Dan Lawrence, who remains yet another tall English batsman to have failed to impress in the ongoing series.

Jonny Bairstow’s inability to get big runs and Moeen Ali’s tendency to spoil good starts with poor shot selection are some of the additional woes the English team will have to overcome. However, they can take heart from Chris Woakes’ good performance with the bat in the fourth Test, and would bank on the all-rounder to provide some useful runs late in the innings.

2. India’s pace battery firing on all cylinders

Jasprit Bumrah has been the pick of the Indian bowlers

India have one of the strongest pace attacks in the world and their pace quartet again proved their worth by capturing the majority of the English wickets on a flat pitch on the fifth day at the Oval.

Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers and became the quickest Indian pacer to reach 100 wickets in test cricket. Bumrah usually bowls with an upright seam and most of his deliveries are aimed at the stumps. Therefore, it is usually very difficult to score off him. Moreover, he has a lethal Yorker, which helps in cleaning up the tail at times.

Mohammed Shami also generally bowls with an upright seam and is another genuine strike bowler that India have. However, it will be difficult for him to make a comeback in the side, as both Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur performed creditably in the fourth Test. Yadav can generate reverse swing with the older ball and usually swings the ball into the right-handed batsmen. Thakur is more of an out-swing bowler and adds a new dimension to the Indian attack.

With Mohammed Siraj providing a solid fourth bowling option, the Indian pace attack looks genuinely scary and will look forward to proving their mettle at Old Trafford.

3. The English bowlers performing well

Ollie Robinson has been a revelation in the series

It seems quite surprising that England have been able to win only one of the four Test matches played so far in spite of the presence of Ollie Robinson, the highest wicket-taker of the series with 21 wickets. Robinson has demonstrated exceptional control over line and length and regularly swung the ball into the right-hander. He will try to sign off with another noteworthy performance in the final Test.

James Anderson, the 39-year old legend, had an ordinary Test match by his lofty standards at the Oval but would try to breathe fire on his home turf in Manchester. Anderson would provide a quality swing-bowling option that any team would want to have in English conditions. Craig Overton was also not very effective as the Indian batsmen played him with consummate ease.

However, if England are to win the last Test, they will have to make sure that their third and fourth bowling options are also performing creditably. Woakes had a very good match at the Oval and would want to continue his good form at Old Trafford as well.

Mark Wood, who is set to replace Overton in the playing eleven for the last Test, would want to trouble the Indian batsmen with his extra pace and bounce. If the pitch has a fair share of grass at Old Trafford, Wood's presence might tilt the scales in favor of England.

In a nutshell, it would be extremely crucial to see whether the English pacers can perform together without any of them having an off day.