Indian speedster Akash Deep and England top-order batter Ben Duckett engaged in a very animated exchange after the fall of the first wicket. Duckett, along with Zak Crawley, quickly raced out of the blocks to give England a blazing start in the early hours of day two. The duo put on a blistering 92-run stand in only 77 balls, with Duckett adding a rapid 43 off 38. He went hard against the likes of Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, and did not even spare India's senior paceman, Mohammed Siraj.

Duckett's entertaining stay finally came to an end during the penultimate ball of the 13th over. In an effort to scoop Deep over the slip cordon, Duckett got himself into a tangle. He opened up his stance far too early and completely got wrong-footed. As a result, his body weight tilted more to the leg side, which effectively moved him away from the line of the ball. In the end, he could only manage to get a faint glove on it, giving Dhruv Jurel a regulation catch behind the stumps. 

See also: Twitter Reaction: India experience batting collapse at Oval

Watch the video:

Charge halted! 🔥#AkashDeep strikes as #BenDuckett falls trying to get cheeky, ending his aggressive knock! 💪🏻#ENGvIND 👉 5th TEST, DAY 2 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 https://t.co/TY23MOyDXC pic.twitter.com/Z8dFP8kS01

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) August 1, 2025

Following Duckett's demise, Deep let his emotions run loose. After being belted for a few runs, Deep was in the mood to share his departing thoughts with the dismissed batter. He went and put his right arm around his shoulder. A brief animated exchange ensued between the two, where the two were seen having a chat with Deep, having a cheeky smile on his face. Although the exchange appeared to be friendly for the most part, the players did make physical contact. Jeff Crowe, the designated match referee for this game, must have had a close look at this encounter. 

Meanwhile, the on-field umpire Ahsan Raza wasn't too far away from the action. He quickly jumped into the scene and had a quiet word with the Indian pacer, following the brief encounter. Duckett's whirlwind 38-ball innings saw him smash five fours and two sixes. The 30-year-old certainly had an appetite to punish the Indian bowlers further, but was removed just at the right time by Deep, thus giving India some respite before lunch. 

By lunch, on day two, England find themselves in a very commanding position. Just 16 overs into the innings, the hosts have wiped out a deficit of 109 runs at the expense of just one wicket. At the time of writing, England still trail by another 115 runs with Crawley looking very composed on 52 (43).

Coming into the fifth Test of the five-match series between England and India at Kennington Oval in South London, the visitors had a chance to walk off with a victory to draw the series at 2-2. It was an inspiring performance from the Blue Brigade to draw the fourth encounter at Old Trafford in Manchester with five sessions of batting. 

Under grey skies, on a surface of live grass where batting was expected to be a hard job, the touring captain, Shubman Gill, lost the fifth successive toss of the series, which is now the 14th instance a team losing all five tosses in a five-match Test series. The previous occasion of the century came in 2018 when Virat Kohli lost all of them to Joe Root.

See Also: [WATCH] Neither Joe Root nor Shubman Gill as Mark Butcher picks best batter of ENG vs IND 2025 series

The focus was on their playing eleven. Even though Gill announced only three changes to the side, they made four. Dhruv Jurel replaced injured Rishabh Pant with the wicket-keeping gloves after the latter got ruled out of the clash with a fractured toe, which he picked up during the previous game while trying to reverse sweep Chris Woakes in the evening session of the opening day.

Playing XI for India and England in ongoing ENG vs IND 5th Test

Jasprit Bumrah, the premier pacer of the side, is not playing the decider either. In his place, the management brought Akash Deep into the side. The Bengal pacer was in fabulous form before getting injured in the fourth game. He picked up a ten-wicket haul during their 336-run victory at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Karun Nair returned to the eleven in place of Shardul Thakur. The right-handed batter is slotted at number five for the fixture. He was dropped from the side after the Lord’s Test, having scored 111 runs at number three and overall 131 runs in three clashes. Anshul Kamboj has also been left out of the eleven as Prasidh Krishna returned to the side.

There was still no trace of Kuldeep Yadav in the side, who ended the trip with no game under his belt. 

India’s playing XI for ENG vs IND 5th Test

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel(w), Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj.

The draw at Old Trafford has created a final-like situation for the 5th Test of the 5-match Test series between England and India. Ahead of the match at Old Trafford, starting from July 31, the Indian team management has to complete a puzzle. The difficulty level of the puzzle is mostly boosted by the workload management issue.

Before the 4th Test, the visiting side was brutally hit by multiple injuries. During the match, Jasprit Bumrah was spotted struggling with his leg for a while. Later, during the match after the press conference, the head coach of Team India, Gautam Gambhir, informed us that his team was completely out of injury problems.

Still, due to workload management, Bumrah remains uncertain about the upcoming crucial match. The performance of the Indian pace attack is also something the management would like to improve before the last encounter. Among the pacers, debutant Anshul Kamboj was the least impressive in Manchester despite taking the wicket of Ben Duckett.

Read More: 'Primary role shouldn't change...'- former India cricketer opines about Ravindra Jadeja permanently at No. 6

Speculations around Kuldeep Yadav also

Mainly because of two reasons—workload and underwhelming performance—there are high speculations about India's bowling combination for the upcoming battle. On social media platforms, there are some claims about Akash Deep; he can make a comeback after recovering from injury. According to reports, the pacer got himself injured during a training session, ahead of the fourth Test match. During the Birmingham Test, the right-arm pacer made his mark by claiming 10 wickets. In the following test, he struck once.

Will he set out to make a comeback for the remaining match of the series? As of now, there is no confirmation, only speculations. Speculations are around Kuldeep Yadav also. Multiple media reports suggested that the spinner can finally get a chance to perform in the series against England. 

After the Manchester Test, Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir declared that all bowlers are fit and fine to play. But the uncertainty remains over Jasprit Bumrah. Will the pacer play the England vs. India 5th Test at The Oval? If not, who can replace him from the present setup?

Before the Manchester Test, Team India got troubled because of multiple injury blows. Full-time pacers like Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy were ruled out from the match. With immediate effect, the management called up Anshul Kamboj, and he got his debut Test cap.

Before the beginning of the series, Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that Jasprit would play 3 out of 5 matches against England. Bumrah has already played in 3. At Old Trafford, the right-handed bowler's performance was surprisingly not up to the mark. The situation got more alarming when he touched his knee and after that, went out from the ground. Though, after taking some rest at the dugout, he stepped into the field again.

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Akash Deep or Prasidh Krishna, who has the advantage?

If Gambhir's claim is to be believed, then Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna, who played in the series already, are ready to go for the 5th and final encounter. Now, if Bumrah is unable to play and the team needs to choose between Akash and Krishna, who will make his strides back to the playing XI?

Krishna participated in two matches of the series; his previous match was pretty underwhelming and attracted lots of criticism. In two innings at Birmingham, he got only one wicket. At Leeds, he captured a total of 5 scalps. Akash Deep also played in 2 matches, where he pocketed a total of 11 wickets, including a 10-wicket haul. At Lord's he had only one scalp under his belt. 

Shubman Gill has confirmed that Team India pacer Akash Deep will miss the upcoming fourth Test against England. The match is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, July 23, at Old Trafford in Manchester. Speaking during a press conference on the eve of the Test, the Indian skipper provided a significant fitness update that could impact the team’s bowling strategy.

Gill revealed that Akash Deep has been ruled out due to a groin niggle he sustained during the third Test. The injury had already made his availability doubtful, and now it has been officially confirmed that the pacer will not feature. This adds to India's injury woes, as Nitish Kumar Reddy has already been ruled out for the remainder of the series.

“It’s never easy when there are a few injuries in the squad. Nitish Kumar Reddy is going to miss out on the series. Akash Deep is unavailable for the next match, and so is Arshdeep, but we have enough good players on the team to pick up twenty wickets. That has been the most challenging aspect of the series. It is not ideal to have different bowlers, but I was prepared,” Gill was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Anshul Kamboj likely to debut as injuries pile up

Akash Deep had a standout performance in the second Test at Birmingham, where he took ten wickets. However, his impact waned in the third Test at Lord’s, where he went wicketless in the first innings and picked up just one in the second. With the squad facing multiple injuries, Anshul Kamboj, who was added recently, could be in line to make his Test debut in Manchester.

See Also: SCL 2025, Match 8: Amo Sharks vs Mis-e-Ainak Knights full match highlights

Meanwhile, Shubman Gill has been in sublime touch with the bat throughout the series. The 25-year-old has already amassed 607 runs in three matches at an average of 101.16, including three centuries and a double ton. Despite a rare failure at Lord’s, where he scored 16 and 6 in the two innings, Gill will look to bounce back and lead India in a must-win Test to level the series 2-2.

Calmness before the storm. Before the do-or-die match at Old Trafford, Manchester, Team India players shared some light moments during the training sessions and also off the field. Arshdeep Singh recently shared a video from his official Instagram account, which attracted a part of netizens. He made a funny video with one of his teammates, Akash Deep.

Arshdeep shared the funny video with Akash to show singing skills. Singh was in the lead role of the funny video, and Akash offered some background music using his mouth. Singh's followers enjoyed the video thoroughly.

The ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar trophy is now lying on a thin line, with England leading 2-1 in the 5-match series. The fate of the competition can be decided in the upcoming match. If England wins the match, then Ben Stokes and his boys will capture the trophy, and if India wins, the scoreline will be 2-2, and then the 5th and final match of the series can find the winner of the series. Team India has to deal with multiple issues, including injury problems.

Watch the funny video here 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Arshdeep Singh (@_arshdeep.singh__)

Read More: WATCH: Team India fielding drills ahead of ENG vs IND 4th Test

A major setback for India 

Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep, both pacers, are now on the list of injured players. Singh's injury is serious, so he is already ruled out of the 4th Test, while Deep's availability for the crucial match is currently under the scanner. Keeping the serious nature of the situation in mind, the Indian team management already added Anshul Kamboj, a tall fast bowler, to the squad ahead of the England vs. India 4th Test.

Akash Deep's injury is considered a major setback for the visiting side, as he was in good rhythm, capturing 10 wickets in the second Test of the series. 

Team India has suffered another setback in the fast bowling department ahead of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester. After left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh injured his hand, Akash Deep is now likely to miss the upcoming match due to a recurring back problem.

Akash, who was India’s star in the third Test at Edgbaston with a brilliant 10-wicket haul, is reportedly struggling again with the same back issue that troubled him during the Australia tour earlier this year. He was seen in discomfort during the second innings at Lord’s and even walked off the field during his spell on Day 4, clutching his lower back. Former England captain Michael Atherton, while commentating, said, “He is walking very gingerly. Not a good sign for India.”

Double Blow for Team India: Anshul Kamboj Called In as Akash Deep Faces Injury Setback, Bumrah Set to Return

Akash had missed cricket for three months earlier this year due to the same injury and had joined his IPL team, Lucknow Super Giants, late in the season. With Akash and Arshdeep both struggling, the team has called in young Haryana fast bowler Anshul Kamboj as a backup option. A team source revealed that Jasprit Bumrah, India’s pace spearhead, is expected to play the fourth Test in Manchester. However, both Bumrah and Akash Deep won’t be playing together in the same match.

🚨 UPDATES ON TEAM INDIA 🚨 [Pratyush Raj from TOI]

- Bumrah set to play the 4th Test.
- Akash Deep likely to be rested for the 4th Test.
- Kamboj has joined Indian team. pic.twitter.com/c0KX4zrSrg

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 20, 2025

“It was already decided before the tour that Bumrah will play only three Tests in this series. Now that Akash’s back is troubling him again, the team management has planned that if Bumrah plays in Manchester, Akash will rest. Then Akash might play the final Test at The Oval when Bumrah is rested,” the source said. Akash Deep didn’t take part in the team’s net session before leaving for Manchester, which added to concerns. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate hinted at the issue during a press interaction when bowling coach Morne Morkel was seen bowling at the nets.

ALSO READ: OTD: Harmanpreet Kaur played unstoppable innings to guide India into World Cup final

“Arsh had to leave after cutting his hand, and Akash didn’t bowl today. So we were a bit short. If someone like Morne bowls a few deliveries from 20 yards, it still gives batters some useful practice,” he explained. The fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy starts on July 23 in Manchester. With the series tied at 1-1, India will be hoping their remaining bowlers step up in the absence of their in-form pacers.

BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla has cleared the air on the recent retirements of Indian cricket legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the Test format, insisting that the Board never asked or pressured them to take the decision. speaking after a special meeting between the Indian men's and women's teams with UK King Charles III at St. James's Palace in London, Shukla stated that the retirement was entirely a personal call made by both players.

“They have retired themselves. We will always miss them; they are both great batsmen, and the good thing for us is that they are available for ODIs,” said Shukla in a conversation with ANI. “It is the policy of BCCI that we never tell any player to retire. We will always consider them as great batsmen,” he added, acknowledging the void left in the current squad during the ongoing five-match Test series against England.

While Rohit and Kohli’s presence is being sorely missed, the Indian teams had a memorable moment off the field when they met King Charles III at the royal palace. Captains Shubman Gill and Harmanpreet Kaur, along with team members and coaching staff, were in attendance. Shukla described the interaction as “historic” and noted that the King’s warm and informed engagement left a lasting impression on the players.

King Charles Asks About Akash Deep’s Sister, Siraj’s Dismissal

Shukla shared that King Charles had done remarkable “homework” before the meeting and surprised many with his attention to detail. “Players are very happy because he asked for all personal details of each player. He asked Saikia ji (BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia) and me about whether Arun Jaitley was my friend and what happened to him, and when I told him that he had died, he asked me to pay condolences to his family. He also asked about Akash Deep's sister's illness,” he revealed.

Watch the video here

#WATCH | London, UK | BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla says, "...We are all feeling the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The decision to retire made by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli was their own. It is the policy of BCCI that we never tell any player to retire...We will… pic.twitter.com/4ShzHNG5W3

— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2025

See Also: 'How Can You Lose Two Games With Jasprit Bumrah?' – Former England captain questions India's playing XI for ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

In a short exchange with Shubman Gill, the King even brought up the final moments of India’s heartbreaking 22-run defeat in the third Test at Lord’s, highlighting Shoaib Bashir’s spinning delivery that bowled out Mohammed Siraj. Gill calmly responded, “It’s a game of cricket.”

On Day 4 of the third Test between India and England at Lord's, on Sunday, July 13, Akash Deep delivered a stunning moment of redemption. The Indian speedster had gone for three consecutive boundaries in his previous deliveries to Harry Brook when he came in to bowl in the 22nd over. The full, attacking delivery had Brook, who was looking to get aggressive again, being away and playing a rash sweep shot, as he completely missed the ball. The ball crashed into stumps behind his legs, dismissing him for 23 runs off 19 balls, leaving England 87/4.

This was an important wicket for India since Brook had looked very aggressive, playing some shots at Akash Deep. He just took 4, 4, and 6 in the previous three deliveries of his last over. Brook's eagerness to get after the bowling got himself out. Akash, who was India's standout performer in the second Test with a 10-wicket match haul, roared back with a crucial wicket to shift the momentum firmly in India’s favor.

India’s bowling attack dominated the morning session. Mohammed Siraj provided early breakthroughs by removing openers Ben Duckett (12) and Ollie Pope (4), while Nitish Kumar Reddy struck to dismiss Zak Crawley (22). With Brook's wicket falling soon after, England were under pressure at 98/4 at Lunch on Day 4, with experienced campaigners Joe Root and Ben Stokes at the crease, trying to rebuild.

First-innings parity sets up tense final days

Earlier in the match, both teams ended with identical scores of 387 in their first innings. Joe Root anchored England’s innings with a composed century (104 off 199), while KL Rahul responded with an equally impressive 100 off 177 for India. The bowlers also played key roles—Jasprit Bumrah bagged his 13th overseas five-wicket haul, and Chris Woakes picked up three wickets for the hosts.

Watch the video here

Relentless and rewarded! 🙌🏻👏🏻#AkashDeep’s disciplined length proves too good for #HarryBrook, as a costly shot sends his middle-stump flying! 🔥#ENGvIND 👉 3rd TEST, DAY 4 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 https://t.co/vo6bbH9n2o pic.twitter.com/xIL09UHRtR

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 13, 2025

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India entered the third Test high on confidence after crushing England by 336 runs in the second Test, their biggest overseas win by runs. Akash Deep was instrumental in that win, claiming six wickets in one inning. With the third Test evenly poised at Lunch on Day 4, India’s bowlers once again took center stage as they sought to push for a series lead.

A horrible incident took place in five minutes during the evening session of the third Test between England and India at Lord’s. On two deliveries, the standing umpire, Sharfuddoula, gave Akash Deep leg before the stumps, but on both occasions, the batter reviewed the decision and came out on the right side of the coin. It was strange how the umpire got it wrong both times. 

Ravindra Jadeja got out on the second ball of the 114th over from Chris Woakes as Jamie Smith grabbed a fine catch behind the stumps. But on the third delivery of the over, the bowler used a nip backer that rapped onto the Bengal batter’s pads on the middle and leg stump line. The umpire raised his finger, but on review, it was shown that the ball would have been missing the leg stump.  

See Also: WATCH: Ajinkya Rahane Confirms his intentions to return for India

The very next ball was under the bat of the right-handed batter. On the fifth ball of the over, Woakes went with a good length delivery as the ball jagged back to hit the batter on the middle. The umpire raised his finger again before Akash Deep showed the T sign. The replays showed that the ball would have missed the stumps quite comfortably.

WATCH: Akash Deep reviews two successive umpire decisions going against him in ENG vs IND 2025 Test

The England side looked immensely confident on the second appeal, as the captain, Ben Stokes, even asked the non-striker batter, Washington Sundar, about the height, but he felt that it was going over the stumps. It was a bizarre decision from the umpire, who, although he saved the Indian side during the first innings of the second Edgbaston Test with a couple of umpires’ calls.

You know you’re in form when even the DRS supports you. 🙏#AkashDeep’s got all the green lights and the crowd’s loved it!#ENGvIND 👉 3rd TEST, DAY 3 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 https://t.co/YhqadvEBqM pic.twitter.com/M9eEcOg67Q

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 12, 2025

India, thanks to Jadeja’s half-century and Washington Sundar’s resistance, were able to back their lower order. Even after losing centurion KL Rahul and wicket-keeper batter, Rishabh Pant, on both ends of the lunch break, they got the vital runs and leveled with England’s first innings score with nine down.

With the pitch looking good even for the fourth innings, they could aim for a decent score on the board. It won’t be easy for the England batters to bat in the third innings after spending nearly one and a half days in the heat.