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Although The Ashes is set to return to Australia, there is pride at stake in the fifth and final Test match between Australia and England at the Kia Oval on Thursday. Both teams have fought well over the course of the series with the end result coming down to the sheer brilliance of the Aussie bowlers and Steve Smith.
England would love to end their summer on a high with a series levelling win on their minds although Australia aren't ones to take any match lightly, let alone an Ashes Test. With a highly entertaining Ashes Test series coming to an end, the Kia Oval is the perfect venue to conclude the summer for the English, who can look back with mixed feelings with the World Champions tag alongside their names. Here are a few tips to help you pick your Dream11 team.
Squads to choose from:
England:
Joe Root (C), Joe Denly, Rory Burns, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer, Jack Leach and Craig Overton.
Australia:
Tim Paine (C), Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Harris, David Warner, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Matthew Wade, Pat Cummins, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc
Playing XI Updates:
England:
Chris Woakes or Sam Curran could return at the expense of Craig Overton, although the Somerset all-rounder didn't too much harm to his stocks. Sam Curran's extra ability with the bat could be pivotal while his left arm pace adds another dimension to the bowling unit as well. The batting order will remain the same with Joe Denly, Joe Root and Rory Burns hitting fifties in the fourth Test. Much is expected from Jason Roy and Ben Stokes, who weren't able to get going in the middle order. Jofra Archer wasn't near his best in the previous game but is key for the English with his raw pace.
Possible XI: Burns, Denly, Root(C), Roy, Stokes, Buttler, Bairstow (WK), Sam Curran, Archer, Broad and Leach.
Australia:
Australia has no reason to alter their combination with the Ashes already in their basket. Players such as Marcus Harris and Travis Head can utilize this opportunity to cement their places in the playing XI while David Warner looks to make amends an end a successful summer in England on a high.
All eyes will be upon Steve Smith, who has been clinical this series. The English don't have a clue about getting the former Australian captain out and that has cost them the series. Their bowling unit is all well settled with Cummins and Hazlewood picking 42 wickets among themselves in Ashes 2019.
Possible XI: Warner, Harris, Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Wade, Paine(C&WK), Cummins, Starc, Lyon and Hazlewood.
Match Details:
England vs Australia, Ashes 2019, 5th Test
12th September 2019, 3:30 PM IST
Kia Oval, London
Pitch Report:
Both the spinners and pacers should enjoy this pitch with sufficient swing and turn on offer respectively. Batsmen should also play their strokes freely once they get themselves in with the weather forecast also predicted clear skies for the entire duration of the Test match. Both teams would love to bat first upon winning the toss.
Fantasy Tips and Suggestions:
Wicket-keeper: One of Matthew Wade or Jonny Bairstow would suffice although Wade's form makes him a better proposition. He has been getting off to starts without making them count in this series but should be backed to replicate his first Test heroics at the Kia Oval in the coming week. Paine is another good option if one were to defer from the aforementioned duo.
Batsmen: Steve Smith is a must have in the side with the Aussies' record here being exemplary. Along with him, Joe Root and Marcus Harris are also decent options to opt for. One of Joe Denly or Jason Roy could also be picked to balance out the side in terms of credits.
Allrounders: Although Ben Stokes' suffered a shoulder injury and didn't bowl in the second innings, he has been picked in the squad. He could play a major role with the bat at least, which makes him a worth-while option alongside Marnus Labuschagne, who has been brilliant this series with 291 runs in five innings.
Bowlers: Pat Cummins and Jofra Archer are must have players for this game with their ability to bounce out batsmen being crucial. While Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood are also in decent form with the ball in hand, Mitchell Starc's sheer pace could also yield a couple of wickets. One of Jack Leach or Stuart Broad should complete the fantasy team.
Captain: Joe Root and Steve Smith have had contrasting series with Root unable to convert his fifties to hundreds while Smith is consistently scoring hundreds and currently averages over 60 in Test cricket. Both of them have good memories at the Kia Oval and should bank on them in this Test. Along with Root and Smith, Cummins is also a decent option to opt as captain or vice-captain.
Fantasy Suggestion #1: Matthew Wade, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Steve Smith, Marcus Harris, Ben Stokes, Marnus Labuschagne, Pat Cummins, Jofra Archer, Josh Hazlewood and Jack Leach. Captain: Steve Smith, Vice-Captain: Joe Root
Fantasy Suggestion #2: Matthew Wade, Jonny Bairstow, David Warner, Steve Smith, Rory Burns, Joe Root, Marnus Labuschagne, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Jack Leach and Jofra Archer. Captain: Joe Root, Vice-Captain: Pat Cummins
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