India XI vs Eng: Kuldeep In, Kamboj Out, Jadeja Promoted In Side By Ex-Coach

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has given his take on the likely team's playing XI for the fifth and final Test against England, starting July 31 at The Oval. Bangar feels that playing pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is a must, while suggesting three changes. Reports have circulated that Bumrah is likely to miss the game as part of his workload management. Even before the team's arrival in England, head coach Gautam Gambhir had confirmed that Bumrah will only play three games in the series.

"Out of the seven batters that may potentially bat at the Oval in the top seven, five have got hundreds. So do you really require another batter batting at No. 8? I don't think that is needed at the moment. The second-most important conversation would be to see where Jasprit Bumrah is," Bangar said on Star Sports.

"If you think of how Jasprit Bumrah bowled in the last Test match, he certainly extended his length of spells. When he had a bit of a niggle, he still came back and bowled. So he doesn't seem to be in any sort of discomfort, at least from a distance. So make him play because this is a must-win Test match for India," he added.

Bangar also urged the management to play Kuldeep Yadav instead of playing an extra batter.

"That would sort a lot of the issues as far as bowling is concerned because (Mohammed) Siraj is anyway going to play. Maybe Anshul may miss out, and Akash Deep might just come back in. So one spot remains. Whether Shardul Thakur plays or there is a place for Kuldeep Yadav, I would be tempted to go with Kuldeep Yadav," Bangar pointed out.

Bangar also feels that all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja should be promoted up the order, ahead of the likes of Dhruv Jurel, who is likely to keep the wickets in the absence of Rishabh Pant.

"If he (Jadeja) has scored close to 500 runs and batted 900 balls in the series, at the moment, let's just think that whatever he gives with the ball is a bonus. He can clearly play as a batter in this team and maybe bat at No. 5 as well. However, if Washington Sundar has scored a hundred batting at No. 5, it could be either-or, and Dhruv Jurel can slot in at No. 6 or No. 7. I think India does need the wrist-spin aspect. Most teams play an extra spinner at The Oval. So think and consider that your bonus bowler is just a batter, and you play a specialist wrist-spinner

Sanjay Bangar's India XI for Oval Test: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep