England vs India 2022: 5th Test Predicted Playing 11 for both Teams

England vs India 2022: Hanuma Vihari and Shubman Gill to open as we look at the best predicted playing 11 for both teams for the 5th Test match. 

After a successful Ireland tour where India won the T20 series 2-0, a parallel Indian Team would now be gearing up for the important one-off 5th Test match vs England. To recap, India are currently leading the Test series 2-1, and are on the verge of creating history if they manage to draw or win the final Test Match. 

The Warm-up Test match against Leicestershire saw a lot of valuable contributions from the Indian players. The likes of Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, KS Bharat, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, and Virat Kohli got the fifties in the match, and that will give them a lot of confidence going into the 5th Test match vs England. 

But the most important factor in the fifth Test match will be the unavailability of Team India’s two first-choice openers, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul. While KL Rahul is injured, Rohit Sharma is down with COVID-19. As per the recent developments, Rohit tested positive again, and it seems he won’t be able to recover in time. 

So, with the recent developments, let’s look at the best predicted playing 11 for the 2022 England vs India 5th Test match. Before that, let’s quickly skim through the official squad for Team India and key match details. Meanwhile, According to the leading website, Betway, India have better winning odds as compared to England. While India’s win has odds set for 2.25, England’s win is set for 2.62. 

India vs England 2022 – 5th Test Official Squad for Team India: 

Batters: Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihrai, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill & Virat Kohli

Wks: KS Bharat & Rishabh Pant 

All-rounders: Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja & Shardul Thakur

Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna & Umesh Yadav 

Coach: Rahul Dravid // Captain: Rohit Sharma // Vice-captain: KL Rahul

Match Details:

Tournament: India Tour of England 2022 

Type: Test Series – 5th Test Match

Where: Edgbaston, Birmingham

When: July 1-5, 3:30 pm IST

Playing 11 for Team India:

Openers: Shubman Gill & Hanuma Vihari

It is not officially confirmed yet, but it seems Rohit Sharma is going to miss the 5th Test match vs England. Rohit is still covid positive, and would need some more time to recover. Although he will have another round of testing tomorrow. If he doesn’t recover, who will replace Rohit Sharma? This is the biggest question going into the 5th Test match. 

Well, technically India have 4 players who can open alongside Shubman Gill. There is Mayank Agarwal, who has been called as a cover for Rohit Sharma. There’s KS Bharat, who showed good technique and form in the Warm-up match vs Leicestershire. Then there are make-shift openers Hanuma Vihari and Cheteshwar Pujara, who had previously also opened for Team India. 

Of these 4, Hanuma Vihari seems to be the best option to open alongside Shubman Gill. Vihari had previously opened for Team India, and given his solid technique, he could be an asset as an opener. This also gives comfort to Cheteshwar Pujara, who will play at his usual position, number 3. If not Vihari, Pujara could play as an opener for Team India. While KS Bharat is also an option, India won’t fancy their chances for just 1 match – that too an important one. 

Middle-order: Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli & Shreyas Iyer

Talking about middle-order, Team India would most-likely have Cheteshwar Pujara at 3, Virat Kohli at 4, and Shreyas Iyer at 5. Had Rohit been fit, Cheteshwar Pujara would have missed out and Vihari would have played at number 3. But with Rohit missing, the combo of Pujara, Kohli, and Iyer seems ideal. These three will be crucial for Team India in the fifth Test. 

Lower-order: Rishabh Pant & Ravindra Jadeja

Coming to the lower-order, wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja shall be the first names for Team India. Both have been playing this role for Team India in the last few series, and have done quite well. Both are aggressive batters, and always provide the differentiating momentum in the game. In addition, Jaddu’s spin shall come in handy in the last two days of the Test match. 

Bowlers: Sharduk Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah & Mohammed Siraj

Coming to the pacers, all eyes will be on debutant Captain, Jasprit Bumrah. 35 years since Kapil Dev last captained Team India in 1987, Jasprit Bumrah shall be the first pacer who will captain the Indian Test Team. It would be an encouraging feat for Team India’s current best pacer as he plans to replicate the feat Pat Cummins has been doing for Australia. 

Meanwhile, Supporting Jasprit Bumrah shall be Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. While Shardul and Mohammed Shami are excellent with the new ball, Siraj’s pace and ability to move the slightly old ball off the pitch will be crucial. The pace quartet had done well vs England in the first 4 Tests, and they are crucial if India wants to have a happy climax.

England vs India 2022: 5th Test Predicted Playing 11 for Team India

Shubman Gill, Hanuma Vihari, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (C) & Mohammed Siraj

So, that completes the best predicted playing 11 for Team India for the 5th Test match vs England. While Rohit Sharma is not officially out yet, it mostly seems he won’t play. However, if Rohit plays, it would be a big relief for Team India as he solves the opening as well as the captaincy problem. If not Rohit, Cheteshwar Pujara should be set to play this match. 

England vs India 2022: 5th Test Predicted Playing 11 for England

Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), Sam Billings (WK), Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad & James Anderson

Thanks for reading! What’s your playing 11 for Team India for the 5th Test Match vs England? Please email your comments to business@cricalytics.com

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