3 changes India should make for the 5th ENG vs IND 2025 Test ft. Prasidh Krishna

The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will come to an enticing conclusion at The Oval, which will host the fifth and final Test between India and England from Thursday, July 31. The series is currently 2-1 in the hosts' favor.

England have made as many as four changes to their playing XI. Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and Liam Dawson will not feature in the final Test, with Jacob Bethell, Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton taking their places in the side.

India, too, will no doubt be forced into making a host of changes. Rishabh Pant has already been ruled out, with Dhruv Jurel being a straightforward replacement behind the stumps. In the bowling department as well, tweaks seem inevitable.

India's squad for the Test series vs England: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, N Jagadeesan.

On that note, here are three changes India should make for the fifth Test against England.

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#3 Akash Deep for Jasprit Bumrah

England & India Net Sessions - Source: Getty

Shubman Gill remarked that a call on Jasprit Bumrah will be taken on the morning of the match, but it wouldn't be wise to risk the ace spearhead. It would be best for India to give him a break, given how his pace was down in the last match as well as the fact that the team management had agreed upon playing him in three of the five Tests.

Akash Deep, who missed the fourth Test with a niggle, is reportedly fit again. The Bengal pacer would be a straightforward swap, having had decent outings to start his Test career.

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#2 Prasidh Krishna for Anshul Kamboj

England & India Net Sessions - Source: Getty

There has been some talk of Arshdeep Singh making his Test debut at The Oval, but it might be better for India to stick to the fast bowlers they've already tried. There's only one game remaining in the series, and thrusting the left-arm seamer into the mix without being able to give him a good run of matches might not be ideal for anyone involved.

Prasidh Krishna has been expensive at times, but he's shown a solid amount of wicket-taking threat. He has all the raw materials to be a handful on any surface, and it must be remembered that he has very little red-ball cricket behind him. The 29-year-old will take some time to get used to the demands of the format, and he'll be a real asset once he does.

Reports have also emerged that Prasidh has been very tough to counter in the Indian nets. Bringing him into the fold at the expense of the unimpressive Anshul Kamboj would be a good idea for the visitors.

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#1 Kuldeep Yadav for Shardul Thakur

England v India - 4th Rothesay Test Match: Day Three - Source: Getty

The Oval is one of the most pace-friendly venues in England, and India already have two spinners in the form of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. While Jadeja and Sundar are undroppable following their splendid performances, their presence ideally shouldn't deter the think tank from playing their biggest wicket-takers.

Shardul Thakur being present as a fourth pace option brings balance to the side, but his bowling form hasn't been too promising. More importantly, Gill has rarely trusted him with the ball, and the fact that a fourth seamer is present has almost never made a difference to the bowling changes.

Kuldeep Yadav is one of the world's best Test bowlers, even if chances have been hard to come by. India haven't been able to take 20 wickets on a consistent basis in the series so far, and with the trophy on the line, they should turn to one of their biggest weapons.