What To Expect From Day One At The Oval
Author: Tom Penn
Updated At:
The ungracious end to the fourth Test match of the series now seems a lifetime ago and the desire of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar to continue on to make their centuries has long been forgotten!
In their place has come a feud between India head coach Gautam Gambhir and The Oval groundsman before that was knocked off the front pages by England making four changes for this Test including captain Ben Stokes being ruled out through injury.
England lead the series 2-1, but what can we expect from day one at The Oval?
Day One, Thursday 31st July, 2025 Kennington Oval
England have won all four of the tosses so far in the series, choosing to field first at Headingley, Edgbaston and Old Trafford while opting to bat first at Lord's.
Will Ollie Pope, standing in for the injured Ben Stokes, be able to win the toss as well or will Shubman Gill finally call correctly?
The weather forecast for South London is for high humidity throughout the day and there could well be a rain shower or two during the afternoon session.
Teams Batting First So Far In This Series
The second and third Tests were won by the team who batted first which could be something to have in mind at the toss or when deciding which cricket bets to back in this Test.
| Team - Venue | Total |
| India at Headingley | 471 |
| India at Edgbaston | 587 |
| England at Lord's | 387 |
| India at Old Trafford | 358 |
However, The Oval has been a batter's paradise in recent four-day games so we could see the first innings totals head back up to the numbers from earlier in the series.
Big Name Players Missing
Without Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah or Ben Stokes, there is a bit of a feeling that both teams are under-strength but with the series still on the line, this promises to be an epic five days, starting on Thursday, at The Oval.
If you think you can call the winner, back yourself!
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