The highly anticipated fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 at The Oval is set for a dramatic turn, with the pitch conditions sparking fresh debate. Indian journalist Sandipan Banerjee has revealed that the Oval surface, traditionally known for aiding pace and bounce, currently has a healthy covering of grass.
This revelation comes amidst swirling speculation that India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir’s recent verbal spat with Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis might have inadvertently cost the visitors a more batting-friendly surface. While it can also be assumed that the green top is provided to stop India from playing their ace spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
Verbal Spat
The confrontation between Gambhir and Fortis, which saw the Indian coach reportedly tell the curator, “you don’t tell us what we need to do,” stemmed from ground staff asking the Indian team to maintain a distance of 2.5 meters from the wicket during inspection. While India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak downplayed the incident, an old photo of Fortis with England coach Brendon McCullum on the pitch during the 2023 Ashes has fueled accusations of “double standards” on social media.
Many believe this off-field friction could have influenced the curator’s decision, leading to a greener pitch than India might have preferred.
PITCH FOR THE 5th TEST AT OVAL STARTING TOMORROW. [: Sandipan Banerjee]
– A Green Top pic.twitter.com/43nKB7xRBU
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 30, 2025
All Pace Attack
This potential “green top” could significantly impact India’s strategy, especially with England’s squad for the 5th Test featuring four frontline pacers: Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue. Their selection strongly suggests England was hoping for a lively surface to exploit. For India, this might prompt a re-evaluation of their bowling attack. Reports were already suggesting that left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has been benched throughout the series, might finally get a look-in. A greener pitch, however, could complicate that decision, pushing India to consider their pace options more carefully, particularly given niggles to Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj throughout the series.
The Series
The series so far has been a rollercoaster. England clinched the first Test at Headingley by 5 wickets, but India roared back with a dominant 336-run victory in the second Test at Edgbaston. The third Test at Lord’s saw England edge out India by a narrow 22 runs in a thrilling encounter, while the fourth Test in Manchester ended in a hard-fought draw, with India batting heroically to save the game. With the series poised at 2-1 in England’s favor, the stage is set for an enthralling decider.Adding to the drama, England captain Ben Stokes has officially been ruled out due to a right shoulder injury, a significant blow given his impactful all-round performances. Ollie Pope will step up to lead England in his absence. Both Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj battled niggles for India, while Stokes himself played through a bicep tendon issue, highlighting the gruelling nature of the series.
England’s Playing 11 for the 5th Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (C), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue.
India’s updated Squad for the 5th Test: Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kl Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwan, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jade, Dhruv Jade Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, N Jagadeesan (WK).
