In the India tour of England 2022, the rescheduled fifth Test match of the series will take place on Friday, July 1 at the Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham at 3 PM IST. The visitors have acquired a lead of 2-1 in the bilateral series. The fifth Test, which was supposed to take place at Old Trafford on September 10, 2021, was called off due to the rise of COVID-19 cases in the camp.
Amidst the uncertainty over the permanent captain, Rohit Sharma‘s availability for the game, the visitors will aim for an iconic series victory. After testing positive for the COVID-19, the Indian opener has been isolated, a couple more tests by the medical team will decide his inclusion. Rohit’s opening partner, KL Rahul, who was instrumental in the team’s success on tour last year has also been out due to surgery. Under Virat Kohli‘s captaincy, the Indian team gained a lead of 2-1, but the top-order batsman stepped down from captaincy earlier this year. Ravi Shastri, who was the head coach during the tour last year was also replaced by Rahul Dravid, as the former’s duration came to an end after ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. Jasprit Bumrah is likely to lead if Rohit isn’t cleared to play. India will take on the in-form England with some significant changes and absence in their camp.
On the other hand, just like the visitors, the host will also head into the final Test of the series with a new captain and coach. Joe Root has passed the baton to the all-rounder, Ben Stokes while Brendon McCullum has taken over the reins as the head coach. The duo of Stokes and McCullum had a flyer start to their respective roles as England beat New Zealand 3-0 in the recently concluded Test series at home. Jonny Bairstow, who was struggling with the form in the longest format, single-handedly won a couple of games for the team. England are in a roaring form before they welcome the COVID-19-hit Indian team.
Head-to-head:
In the head-to-head competition between the two teams, England have a massive advantage. The two sides have faced off on 130 occasions, the hosts won 49 fixtures while the visitors emerged victorious on 31 instances.
The previous outing between the two teams took place last year in the fourth Test of the series, India registered an incredible 157-run victory on the final day of the match.
TV and LIVE streaming details:
TV – Sony Sports Network
OTT-Â SonyLIV