England v India: Fifth Test betting tips & predictions

England and India begin the final Test of their thrilling series this Thursday at The Oval, with the action set to commence at 11am local time.

It was a batsman’s paradise in the drawn Test at Old Trafford last week, as the sides combined for 1,452 runs with just 24 wickets falling. Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja all scored centuries, while the only bright spot with the ball was Stokes taking 5/72 in the first innings.

The hosts hold a 2-1 advantage in the series, but with India the reigning champions in this bilateral contest, a draw will be good enough for the visitors to take home the inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

England enter this clash as favorites with top cricket betting sites, with the best odds of +120. However, don’t be surprised if the draw comes into play once again at +220; as a draw secures the series for the home side, another batter-friendly pitch is expected.

In positive news for the Indians, England have lost two of their last four Test matches at the venue, including when these sides last met in 2021. At +260 at , the visitors offer strong value.

England team news

After bowling over 250 overs at Old Trafford, there are concerns around the fitness of the English attack. While Ben Stokes has confirmed that he will play, Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse are no certainties to feature in Surrey.

Josh Tongue played in the first two Tests and looks a likely inclusion. Meanwhile, Jamie Overton and Gus Atkinson have been added to the squad and are in the mix to play their first match of the series.

1. Zak Crawley
2. Ben Duckett
3. Ollie Pope
4. Joe Root
5. Harry Brook
6. Ben Stokes (c)
7. Jamie Smith (wk)
8. Gus Atkinson
9. Liam Dawson
10. Josh Tongue
11. Jofra Archer

India team news

India have been forced into two massive changes for this Test, with star quick Jasprit Bumrah and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant both ruled out. Akash Deep comes into the bowling attack, while Dhruv Jurel takes the gloves.

Seam-bowling allrounder Anshul Kamboj looks set to be dropped after a poor performance in Manchester, with either Prasidh Krishna or Arshdeep Singh tipped to come in.

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal
2. KL Rahul
3. Sai Sudharsan
4. Shubman Gill (c)
5. Dhruv Jurel (wk)
6. Ravindra Jadeja
7. Shardul Thakur
8. Washington Sundar
9. Jasprit Bumrah
10. Arshdeep Singh
11. Mohammed Siraj

England v India top betting picks

With the series on the line and India missing their most valuable player, expect England to be too strong. The visitors have struggled with the ball at times in this series, while their need to win this Test may result in loss of wickets as they try to push the game along. Back the home side to get the job done.

Coming off an excellent 150 in the last Test, Joe Root remains the most dangerous batsman in the English lineup. He has 403 runs at an average of 67 in this series, while he loves playing at The Oval, where he has six half-centuries in 11 matches. At +120 with top online sportsbooks, back Root to pass 50 once again.

Shubman Gill has been tremendous in his first series as India’s Test captain, smashing 722 runs and four hundreds. With a chance to retain the trophy, expect a big effort from the skipper, who is paying +275 at to top the scoring in India’s first innings.

SPORTS BETTING PICKS