Published: Sep 06, 2018, 05:58 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 06, 2018, 05:58 PM (IST)
England have gone with unchanged XI for the fifth Test against India at Kia Oval starting Friday, in what is Alastair Cook’s farewell match.
Moeen Ali, fresh from taking nine wickets at Southampton as England secured the series, has been pencilled in to bat at No 3 and Jonny Bairstow will resume the wicketkeeping duties having fully recovered from the fractured finger he suffered at Trent Bridge.
This means that England captain will drop down a spot to his preferred No 4 position.
Moeen, in his first Test match since March, took 5/63 and 4/71 with his offspin and scored 40 batting at No 7 in England’s first innings and 9 at No 3 in the second.
James Anderson is on 559 career Test wickets, needing five to surpass Glenn McGrath’s record of most wickets by a fast bowler.
England XI: 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Keaton Jennings, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Ben Stokes, 8 Jos Buttler, 9 Sam Curran, 10 Adil Rashid, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 Jimmy Anderson.
