Match details:
Series/tournament name: Ashes 2019
Venue: The Oval
Date: 12 September, 2019
Time: 3:30 p.m. IST
Preview:
England and Australia will battle it out in the fifth and final Test of the 2019 Ashes series at the Oval, starting from Thursday. The home side will come in the match low on confidence after a defeat in the fourth Test and will be eager to turn things around in London. On the other hand, after retaining the Ashes, Australia will now be looking to seal the series win with another impressive performance.
Weather report: The weather is expected to stay fine throughout the match.
Pitch report: Pitch is expected to be a good one for batting where spinners will come into play from third day onwards.
Injuries and replacement:
Ben Stokes' shoulder isn't serious enough to keep him out of the squad, but may prevent him from bowling in the fifth and final Test.
Probable Playing XI:
England:
Despite losing the fourth Test handsomely, no major changes in the team are expected. In the batting department, the home team will be relying on the likes of captain Joe Root, opener Joe Denly and all-rounder Ben Stokes to score bulk of the runs, whereas on the bowling front, the onus will be on the likes of pacers Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad and left-arm spinner Jack Leach to provide breakthroughs when needed.
Rory Burns, Joe Denly, Joe Root (C), Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow
Match details:
Series/tournament name: Ashes 2019
Venue: The Oval
Date: 12 September, 2019
Time: 3:30 p.m. IST
Preview:
England and Australia will battle it out in the fifth and final Test of the 2019 Ashes series at the Oval, starting from Thursday. The home side will come in the match low on confidence after a defeat in the fourth Test and will be eager to turn things around in London. On the other hand, after retaining the Ashes, Australia will now be looking to seal the series win with another impressive performance.
Weather report: The weather is expected to stay fine throughout the match.
Pitch report: Pitch is expected to be a good one for batting where spinners will come into play from third day onwards.
Injuries and replacement:
Ben Stokes' shoulder isn't serious enough to keep him out of the squad, but may prevent him from bowling in the fifth and final Test.
Probable Playing XI:
England:
Despite losing the fourth Test handsomely, no major changes in the team are expected. In the batting department, the home team will be relying on the likes of captain Joe Root, opener Joe Denly and all-rounder Ben Stokes to score bulk of the runs, whereas on the bowling front, the onus will be on the likes of pacers Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad and left-arm spinner Jack Leach to provide breakthroughs when needed.
Rory Burns, Joe Denly, Joe Root (C), Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow (WK), Jos Buttler, Craig Overton, Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach
Australia:
After producing a near-perfect performance in the fourth Test, Australia are likely to field the same lineup at The Oval. In the batting department, the team will be relying on the likes of star batsman Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne to score bulk of the runs, whereas on the bowling front, the onus will be on the likes of pacers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc to provide timely breakthroughs.
David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Matthew Wade, Tim Paine (C, WK), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon
Top picks:
Wicketkeeper: Tim Paine (8 Cr)
Tim Paine is having a mixed series for the visitors. The 34-year-old has led the team well on the field and became the first Australian captain since 2001 to retain the Ashes on English soil. However, with the bat in hand, Paine is having a mediocre series with just 158 runs at an average of less than 23.
Batsman: Steve Smith (11.5 Cr)
Steve Smith is having a time of his life with the bat in hand in the ongoing series. The right-hander is the top-scorer with some margin in the ongoing Ashes series with 671 runs in just five innings at an astonishing average of 134.20, which included three centuries and two fifties.
All-rounder: Ben Stokes (11 Cr)
Ben Stokes is having a pretty decent average according to his own high standards. The 28-year-old is England's leading run-getter with 354 runs at an impressive average of 59 and also has eight wickets to his name. However, it is yet to be seen whether Stokes will be able to bowl in the fifth Test as he is currently struggling with a shoulder injury.
Bowler: Josh Hazlewood (8.5 Cr)
Josh Hazlewood is having an outstanding series with the ball in hand. The right-arm pacer has 18 wickets to his name in just six innings at an average of just 16.88—best amongst all the bowlers from both teams.
Captaincy options: Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Josh Hazlewood, Jofra Archer
Dream XI team:
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are of the author and is not a reflection of the actual points you might earn.
