In cricketing parlance it's often said that teams should not change winning combinations because more often than not it breaks the momentum. Come to think of it, India's travails began in England only when they made changes to the winning eleven of the second game at Lord's. 
 
After the high of the Lord's win, their first at the hallowed ground in 28 years, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a> and the team management left out <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-binny/4001/31034">Stuart Binny</a>, whose 78 in the second innings of the first Test at Trent Bridge blew away the clouds of defeat hovering over the team. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a>, the hero at Lord's for his career-best 7 for 74 in the second innings, also had to miss out the Southampton Test on account of an ankle injury. While leaving Binny out was the team's decision, Ishant's unavailability couldn't be helped. 
 
In hindsight, those two changes changed India's series. The men who replaced Binny and Ishant were batsman <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a> and medium pacer <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a> and both had an outing to forget. Rohit made 28 and 6, while Pankaj returned 0 for 146 and 0 for 33 as India lost the match by 266 runs. 
 At Old Trafford, India this time made three changes, bringing in <keyword id="13839" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gautam-Gambhir">Gautam Gambhir</keyword>, R Ashwin and <keyword id="6370607" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Varun-Aaron">Varun Aaron</keyword> in places of <keyword id="17805" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shikhar-Dhawan">Shikhar Dhawan</keyword>, Rohit and Mohammed Shami. Things went from bad to worse and they were thumped by an innings and 54 runs inside three days. Clearly, those five changes didn't prove to be propitious for <keyword id="6397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhoni">Dhoni</keyword>. 
 
Having that in mind, now the question arises whether India should make changes once again for the fifth and final encounter at The Oval starting Friday. Gambhir had a horrible outing at Old Trafford; offspinner Ashwin, even though he did well with the bat, failed to take any wicket. However, Aaron impressed a lot, showing plenty of pace and his wicket of Moeen Ali with a vicious inswinger will stay as one of the moments of the series. 
 
The suspects this time are Gambhir, Ashwin and Pankaj, who despite breaking his wickets drought at Old Tafford, failed to inspire any confidence. Medium-pacer Ishwar Pandey and wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha, who piled on the runs for India A against Australia A recently with scores of 219, 101 and 110 in two matches and was drafted into the squad as a replacement for the injured Wriddhiman Saha, are the only players in the squad not to have got a game yet. Should India hand them Test debuts at The Oval or, having learnt from their experiences in the series, they stick to the team that played at Old Trafford are questions that must be bothering Dhoni a great deal. 
 
By the look of things at present, sadly, India aren't likely to be going into the match unchanged. The cases of Pankaj and Gambhir need to be looked at with a magnifying glass. They looked very poor in the Old Trafford defeat. But then some would argue what's the guarantee that their replacements would revive the team. That the damage has already been done with the tourists trailing 2-1 in the series and bringing back Dhawan, Rohit, Shami or Binny is unlikely to do any good to the team. 
 
But in view of the proverbial fact that losing squads are kept getting tinkered with, a couple of changes look to be on the cards. There is no update on Ishant's fitness but he gets fit in time, Pankaj will have to go. Even if Ishant is not fit, Pandey should be considered on the basis of his accuracy and better swinging skills. Dhawan should be brought back in place of Gambhir for one simple reason that Gambhir looks to be way past his prime, and if the team management has to pick between two uncertainties, it should go for the younger and futuristic option that is Dhawan, who not long ago looked in good touch in New Zealand. The third suspect, Ashwin, should be retained considering he can contribute with the bat and looking at the team's current batting crisis playing him won't be a bad idea. 
 
The Oval Test seems to Dhoni's last chance at redemption and he can't afford to fail this time. Another loss or probably even a draw will certainly be the end of his captaincy. The selectors can't keep turning a blind eye to the fact that he has lost 12 Tests against one win outside the subcontinent in the last three years. Hopefully, Dhoni manages to assemble an eleven that brings an end to India's predicament.

To Change Or Not To Change, That's The Question For Dhoni

England's continuation of winning every session stretched into the fourth day with India struggling to save the third Test at the Ageas Bowl. For India, though, there was scant change in fortunes from day three: like in the first innings, India went into stumps in a precarious situation, well set batsmen failed to push on and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/moeen-ali/3001/3153">Moeen Ali</a> had two wickets. India needed to bat out 90 overs with the 445-run target seemingly out of reach after closing the day on 112 for 4, 333 behind. 
 
While India's frontline bowlers struggled to contain the England batsmen in the second innings, it only needed England's part-timers to inflict most damage. Three out of India's top four were victims of Moeen and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/joe-root/3001/73004">Joe Root</a>, while the fourth was run out. Lapses of concentration were India's biggest bane in a game their batsmen needed large reserves of. <keyword id="51784" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ajinkya-Rahane">Ajinkya Rahane</keyword> (18*) and Rohit Sharma (6*) played out the rest of the day but another 90 overs remain. 
 Like the last three days, England continued to dominate while India continued to play catch up. Twenty-five balls was all it took for England's bowlers to wrap up India's innings for 330, and despite the visitors falling short of the follow-on target by 39 runs, <keyword id="9234" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Alastair-Cook">Alastair Cook</keyword> led his team out to bat for a second time, 239 ahead. 
 A rapid second essay, powered by <keyword id="1411" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="captain">captain</keyword> Cook's 70* and Joe Root's 41-ball 56 prompted England's second declaration of the match on 205 for 4, setting India a target of 445. England scored at over five runs an over, giving themselves little over four sessions to bowl India out defending a total that has never been chased before. 
 
In reply, India looked rather settled as Murali Vijay and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a> began well. India's openers haven't put on 50 in an away Test since <keyword id="13839" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Gautam-Gambhir">Gautam Gambhir</keyword> and Abhinav Mukund three years ago, and the trend continued as Vijay ran himself out. Dhawan set off for a quick single and Stuart Broad's underarm throw hit the stumps directly to find Vijay inches short for 12. 
 Cheteshwar Pujara hadn't converted any of his previous starts, and the introduction of Moeen into the attack didn't allow him one this time, his loose drive taking an edge which Chris Jordan brilliantly hung on to at first slip. Another 50-run partnership followed, this time between Dhawan and <keyword id="6354486" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Virat-Kohli">Virat Kohli</keyword>, but the curse of the part-time spinner continued to lurk and both fell to similar dismissals. Dhawan was drawn into a drive on 37 that found the outside edge of his bat, while Kohli nicked behind to Jos Buttler for 28. 
 England needed quick runs on the board after choosing not to enforce the follow-on, but Sam Robson was out early to <keyword id="479464" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bhuvneshwar-Kumar">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</keyword> for 13 as Dhawan held on to a catch at first slip, but Dhoni's decision to bring on the part-time spinners indicated resignation as the hosts ran away with the advantage. 
 Gary Ballance was unfortunate as the umpire adjudged him caught at short leg to <keyword id="6359948" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ravindra-Jadeja">Ravindra Jadeja</keyword> for 38, even though replays suggested otherwise. England resisted the temptation to promote Jos Buttler up the order to boost the scoring rate, but Ian Bell (23, 21b, 4x4) and Root ensured they kept the momentum during the second session. Bell was bowled round his stumps as Jadeja got one to turn in from the rough and Root suffered the same fate, but his sixth Test half-century had meant England had opened up a 444-run lead, enough to sound the declaration. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/james-anderson/3001/3040">James Anderson's</a> short ball ploy had earlier resulted in the wickets of overnight batsmen MS Dhoni and Mohammed Shami as he finished with 5 for 53 on his 32nd birthday, his 16th five-wicket haul in Test cricket and third against India as they made short work of India's first innings. While Dhoni was out fending an Anderson short ball without adding to his overnight 50, Mohammed Shami's dismissal was a mirror image of Cheteshwar Pujara's wicket on the third day, and India could only add seven more runs to their total. 
 
India's bowlers came out hoping they didn't let England get away with too many, they found little help from either the surface or the bowlers. After Robson's wicket, Bhuvneshwar was caned for 59 from his 10 overs while Shami bowled just four, sounding alarms over his place in the fourth Test.

England Sense Win As India Falter Against Spin

An assortment of factors, Paulo Coelho would happily note, conspired to bring the most gripping of final days to a most dramatic and nerve-shredding conclusion at Headingley on Tuesday. 
 When the fifth day started, with England 57 for 5 needing 350 runs to win or six sessions to bat out a draw, it seemed <keyword id="6355572" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</keyword> were assured of victory. But ball by ball, over by over, hour by hour, session by session, they were left dumbfounded and frustrated by Moeen Ali's monumental efforts, with England's No 11 James Anderson piling on the agony with a 55-ball 0 that ended one delivery short of the stipulated overs required to be bowled. It was that awesome, that engaging, that rewarding, that cruel and that beautiful. 
 The first wicket of the day fell at a score of 124, as Joe Root's resistance was snapped by Nuwan Pradeep in the 57th over. In the 72nd over, Dhammika Prasad achieved his first five-wicket haul in Tests when he had Matt Prior caught at short leg when fending a short ball. Sri Lanka's celebrations were put on hold as <keyword id="251767" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Billy-Bowden">Billy Bowden</keyword> asked third umpire Paul Reiffel to check for a no-ball on a desperately close call. The result went in Sri Lanka's favour and Prasad, 31, had achieved the best figures by a Sri Lankan fast bowler in England. 
 England were 160 for 7, meaning Sri Lanka needed just three wickets for a famous series victory. They were left waiting as Chris Jordan batted 62 deliveries for his 21; after that, <keyword id="52757" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Stuart-Broad">Stuart Broad</keyword> ate up 24 balls for 0. When he was out to Rangana Herath, England were still 20.2 overs from safety. 
 Anderson batted 55 balls without scoring a run, until he was the final wicket of the Test to give Sri Lanka the series 1-0. That is just 22 balls short of <keyword id="818966" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="the-record">the record</keyword> by a No 11 who never opened his account. That took more than guts, and Anderson can take immense satisfaction from his innings. 
 
But you have to feel for Moeen, who was left to stare on blankly as Anderson fended a short delivery from Shaminda Eranga to backward square leg. Two balls was all that separated Moeen from getting solid applause and a place in Test cricket's pantheon of great match-saving efforts. Make no mistake, this was an insanely determined, stubborn and remorseless innings from a man in his second Test, and who had been unfairly singled out by one English journalist earlier this month for wearing his faith on his chin. 
 
To bat 281 balls in any situation is a test of a player's skill and endurance. To do so in the final innings of a Test match, with defeat looming large, and bat out an entire final day's play suggests some sort of zen-like concentration. Since 2000, only Michael Vaughan batted more deliveries in the final innings of a Test match for England. Overall, on only 11 occasions did English batsmen face more deliveries than Moeen's 281 on day five at Leeds in the fourth innings. 
 
While at the same time on a different kind of sporting pitch in Brazil, footballer Luis Suarez displayed something bordering on a personality disorder, at Headingley Moeen was the embodiment about all that is good about an unflappable temperament. Whatever Sri Lanka threw at him, Moeen resisted. He left with assurance and played with a straight bat, keeping out deliveries on the stumps and swaying out of the short stuff. When Sri Lanka's quick bowlers conceived the policy of bowling wide of the left-hander's off stump to tempt him into impetuosity in the gully area, Moeen moved his front foot forward and head well across and resisted. How could you not be sucked in to this tussle? 
 
This is the beauty of Test cricket; that a five-day tussle between two teams can stretch the physical and mental reserves of 22 men. That scripts are written and re-written, plans dashed and predictions squashed. 
 
The result is a draw. On paper, no team won. But those with a fetish for the intricacies and nuances of the five-day game will have been touched by Moeen and Anderson's last-ditch alliance, an emotional journey between two contrasting players that has given us one of Test cricket's greatest rearguards. In this era of Twenty20 cricket, Tuesday's proceedings was one of the most satisfying results in recent years. 
 
These two Tests between England and Sri Lanka have whet the purist's appetite ahead of a marquee five-Test series between England and India starting in a few weeks time at Trent Bridge. If those matches pick up from where England v Sri Lanka has left off, fans of Test cricket are going to be in for a most splendid summer.

Leeds Thriller Reveals Much About Test Cricket's Charm

After the high of Lord's, the low at Southampton. Following India's 266-run defeat at Ageas Bowl on Friday, gocricket.com assesses how each of the 11 players fared. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/murali-vijay/4001/4102">Murali Vijay</a> 
Vijay followed his defiant batting at Lord's - 24 and 95 - with a stumbling performance. He looked out of sorts against <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/james-anderson/3001/3040">James Anderson</a> on day three and perished for 34 to a moment of indecision to <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-broad/3001/3067">Stuart Broad</a>. Worse, though, was Vijay's lethargic run out for 12 in the second innings. After two strong games, a low can be excused to an extent. And Vijay is a batsman who finds a way out of a slump. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a> 
Vijay's opening partner has looked out of sorts in England and his place in the XI is now in jeopardy ahead of the Old Trafford Test. Six innings, 122 runs, highest of 37 in the second innings at Southampton. The cracks in his technique were again exposed by Anderson in the first innings, while in the second Dhawan fell to <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/joe-root/3001/73004">Joe Root</a>'s part-time offspin. Looks far removed from the dasher who bullied Australia in Mohali and stood tall in New Zealand. Has Dhawan exhausted whatever faith the management has in him? 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/cheteshwar-pujara/4001/4106">Cheteshwar Pujara</a> 
India's No 3 had his poorest match of the series. Was tested by a fiery Anderson in the first innings where he looked uncomfortable against his bounce. Fell to a rising delivery from Broad that he failed to negotiate, and was caught behind when trying to weave out the ball's way. In the second, with India staring at a mountain, Pujara nicked off against <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/moeen-ali/3001/3153">Moeen Ali</a> for two. Pujara has not looked as shaky in Tests as he has in England. His rock-solid technique is being tested. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a> 
India's superstar showed signs of shrugging off his poor form in this Test, but twice squandered starts. His dismissal to Anderson in India's first innings was an extension of a nagging problem - the corridor of uncertainty outside off stump. His dismissal to Ali's offbreaks in the second was just downright ordinary. How Kohli fares in the next two Tests could impact whether he is regarded as a truly exceptional player or just a good one. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane</a> 
India's best batsman, with two fifties. Looked good during his first-innings 54 until he made a mess of a long hop from Ali. Batted 121 balls for 52 not out in the second, the only Indian to cross 37. Goes to Old Trafford the most confident player of the team. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a> The case of India's most frustrating batsman continued. Drafted in for his first Test in England, in place of allrounder <keyword id="258548" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Stuart-Binny">Stuart Binny</keyword>, Rohit found himself no further fans with a silly dismissal to Ali in the first innings. Shortly before tea, Rohit dashed out and lofted to mid-off, then sunk to his knees in despair. In the second, he made six before falling early on day five, edging off Anderson. Could be swapped for Binny in a week's time. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a> 
His biggest lapse in this match was falling early on day four, when India needed to bat out time. On 50 overnight, and with two tailenders remaining, India's captain hooked at one from Anderson and top-edged to the wicketkeeper. He failed to add a run to his total and India's innings lasted 25 balls. Was flat in the field, letting the game slip away. As often in the past, when teams start to attack, Dhoni eases into defensive mode and this was glaring here too. Needs to shake himself and the team up. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a> 
Was India's leading wicket-taker in this Test but his left-arm spin was very ordinary, and the way Bell and debutant Jos Buttler took Jadeja apart in England's first innings was striking. His wickets either owed to poor shots, wrong calls or the need for quick runs. He got Cook for 95 with a short ball down the leg side; Buttler heaved and missed when the declaration was imminent; Gary Ballance was incorrectly given out; Bell and Root both went looking for quick runs in the second innings. Jadeja conceded 205 runs in 56.2 overs (economy rate 3.65) and with the bat, made 31 and 15. Calls for R Ashwin to play in his place have grown louder. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a> 
No doubt, his average returns had a direct link to India's loss. Struggled to show the consistency and determination of the first two Tests, taking four wickets for 160 runs and scoring 19 and 0. A failure was around the corner, and the fatigue showed on Bhuvneshwar when he walked off the field Wednesday. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mohammed-shami/4001/30030">Mohammed Shami</a> 
Turned in another poor showing, and should make way for a fresher pair of legs at Old Trafford. Cranked up some good pace on day one and did bowl some scattered short deliveries that tested England's batsmen, but overall Shami was ordinary and erratic. His five wickets in the series have come every 115 deliveries and at a cost of 73.20 each. Time to go? 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a> A domestic stalwart for Rajashan with 300 wickets in 77 first-class matches, Pankaj was handed a Test cap when <keyword id="11685" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ishant-Sharma">Ishant Sharma</keyword> was ruled out, and finished with a record he won't want attached to his name: the most runs conceded by a debutant bowler without a wicket. However, he bowled far better than the stats suggest, particularly on day one, and should have had <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/alastair-cook/3001/3056">Alastair Cook</a> early as well as <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ian-bell/3001/3048">Ian Bell</a>. Was the best of India's three pacers, doing whatever was asked of him, but a lack of pace and those awful figures could confine Pankaj to a solitary Test appearance.

A Report Card On India's Defeat

The Oval is the venue where the final Test of the English summer is played. In the current series between <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/teams/england/3001/home">England</a> and India, England hold the upper hand, having won convincingly in Southampton and Old Trafford. India, on the other hand, have lost all momentum after their victory at Lord's. If they have to salvage something in this series, then they need to win at The Oval to turn the corner in performances outside of the subcontinent. 
 
Traditionally, The Oval is considered a flat deck even though it gives ample assistance to spinners. India's record at this venue is a bit of a mixed game. This was here that they won their first Test in England in 1971, a victory that sealed their first series win in the country. But victory has eluded them since. At the start of the 21st century, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/teams/india/4001/home">India</a> have played three Tests and drawn two. This table gives the W/L ratio of the teams at The Oval. 
 
<table class="tableizer-table">
	<tbody>
		<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
			<th>
				TEAM</th>
			<th>
				SPAN</th>
			<th>
				MATCHES</th>
			<th>
				WON</th>
			<th>
				LOST</th>
			<th>
				DRAWN</th>
			<th>
				W/L RATIO</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				PAKISTAN</td>
			<td>
				1954-2010</td>
			<td>
				9</td>
			<td>
				4</td>
			<td>
				3</td>
			<td>
				2</td>
			<td>
				1.33</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				WEST INDIES</td>
			<td>
				1928-2004</td>
			<td>
				16</td>
			<td>
				6</td>
			<td>
				7</td>
			<td>
				3</td>
			<td>
				0.85</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				AUSTRALIA</td>
			<td>
				1880-2013</td>
			<td>
				36</td>
			<td>
				6</td>
			<td>
				16</td>
			<td>
				14</td>
			<td>
				0.37</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				INDIA</td>
			<td>
				1936-2011</td>
			<td>
				11</td>
			<td>
				1</td>
			<td>
				3</td>
			<td>
				7</td>
			<td>
				0.33</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				NEW ZEALAND</td>
			<td>
				1931-1999</td>
			<td>
				9</td>
			<td>
				1</td>
			<td>
				4</td>
			<td>
				4</td>
			<td>
				0.25</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				SOUTH AFRICA</td>
			<td>
				1907-2012</td>
			<td>
				14</td>
			<td>
				1</td>
			<td>
				6</td>
			<td>
				7</td>
			<td>
				0.16</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				SRI LANKA</td>
			<td>
				1998-1998</td>
			<td>
				1</td>
			<td>
				1</td>
			<td>
				0</td>
			<td>
				0</td>
			<td>
				0</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
 
India have a better W/L ratio here than the current No.1 ranked team in Tests. South Africa, who have won only one Test in 14 attempts, achieved victory only in 2012, their first at this venue since they started playing at The Oval 105 years ago. Among all visiting teams, Pakistan have the best W/L ratio, having not lost at this venue since 1967*. 
 
*There is a dispute regarding the result of the 2006 match. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/teams/pakistan/7001/home">Pakistan</a> have called for the match to be drawn while the match has been awarded to England due to Pakistan's refusal to play. 
 
Spin vs pace at The Oval 
 
This table showcases the amount of wickets taken by spin and pace. The first table is from the 2000-2007 period while the second is between 2008 until August 2014. 
 
<table class="tableizer-table">
	<tbody>
		<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
			<th>
				BOWLING TYPE</th>
			<th>
				WICKETS TAKEN</th>
			<th>
				AVERAGE</th>
			<th>
				FIVE WKT HAUL</th>
			<th>
				10 WKT HAUL</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				PACE</td>
			<td>
				62</td>
			<td>
				32.07</td>
			<td>
				2</td>
			<td>
				0</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				SPIN</td>
			<td>
				42</td>
			<td>
				42.53</td>
			<td>
				3</td>
			<td>
				2</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
 
<table class="tableizer-table">
	<tbody>
		<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
			<th>
				BOWLING TYPE</th>
			<th>
				WICKETS TAKEN</th>
			<th>
				AVERAGE</th>
			<th>
				FIVE WKT HAUL</th>
			<th>
				10 WKT HAUL</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				PACE</td>
			<td>
				61</td>
			<td>
				28.19</td>
			<td>
				3</td>
			<td>
				0</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				SPIN</td>
			<td>
				44</td>
			<td>
				24.06</td>
			<td>
				1</td>
			<td>
				0</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
 If you compare the performance in both periods, then the first period is dominated by pace in all aspects. In the second period, although pace has taken more wickets, the spinners have chipped regularly thus giving them a better average. <keyword id="17439" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shane-Warne">Shane Warne</keyword> and <keyword id="62118" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Graeme-Swann">Graeme Swann</keyword> topped the bowling charts in the first and second time periods respectively. However, the pacers have held their own at this venue, suggesting that the wicket is a bit of a mixed bag. There will be assistance for both spinners and pacers and team composition will play a huge role for both teams. 
 
Batters paradise 
 
<table class="tableizer-table">
	<tbody>
		<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
			<th>
				AVERAGE OF BATSMEN AT THE OVAL 2008-2014</th>
			<th>
				81.41</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				AVERAGE OF BATSMEN AT THE OVAL 2000-2007</td>
			<td>
				62.36</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
 
<table class="tableizer-table">
	<tbody>
		<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
			<th>
				NUMBER OF FIFTIES/HUNDREDS AT THE OVAL IN 2008-2014</th>
			<th>
				8/7</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				NUMBER OF FIFTIES/HUNDREDS AT THE OVAL IN 2000-2007</td>
			<td>
				9/6</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
 
If one has to compare the batting average of The Oval with its northern neighbour, Lord's, it is significantly higher. From 2008 to 2014, the average of batsmen is over 80, the most for an England venue. Batsmen have always feasted at this venue. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/kevin-pietersen/3001/3050">Kevin Pietersen</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/alastair-cook/3001/3056">Alastair Cook</a> have two hundreds at this venue, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ian-bell/3001/3048">Ian Bell</a> has a highest score of 235 while <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/hashim-amla/8001/8034">Hashim Amla</a> scored South Africa's first individual triple-hundred at this venue. <keyword id="2727" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rahul-Dravid">Rahul Dravid</keyword> has an average of 110.75 in four Tests at this venue. The batting average and the number of fifties/centuries scored at this venue has been fairly consistent across both time periods. 
 
Average innings score at The Oval 
 
<table class="tableizer-table">
	<tbody>
		<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
			<th>
				TEAM INNINGS</th>
			<th>
				AVERAGE</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				1ST INNINGS</td>
			<td>
				406</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				2ND INNINGS</td>
			<td>
				356</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				3RD INNINGS</td>
			<td>
				245</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				4TH INNINGS</td>
			<td>
				234</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
 
Looking at the statistics, the team that bats first and puts up a big total on the board has the advantage at this venue. The pitch is excellent for batting on the first two days and then it starts to crumble. Batting has traditionally not been easy in the third or fourth innings at this venue and both teams will be vary of this fact. 
 
County trends at The Oval 
 Surrey are the county side that play their home first-class games at The Oval in Division 2. At the start of the summer in April, the UK was under the midst of a wet spell and that had spiced up the pitches that were used in the venue. In Surrey's first game against Glamorgan, no side managed to go past 300, with Surrey getting blown away for 81 in the second innings thanks to a haul of 6/29 from <keyword id="2472321" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Graham-Wagg">Graham Wagg</keyword>. Surrey went on to lose the match by 10 wickets. 
 
In the next match against Essex, rain played spoilsport but both teams managed to score in excess of 250 as the match was drawn. Their next encounter against Gloucestershire was a low-scoring thriller with both teams getting bowled out for under 200. Set 267 for victory on a difficult wicket, Surrey chased it down thanks to Graeme Smith's 103 as they won the match by four wickets. In that match, Chris Tremlett picked up 6/59. 
 
In the game against Worcestershire, Surrey were blown away by <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/moeen-ali/3001/3153">Moeen Ali</a>'s 162 but the home team held on for a draw despite following on. Surrey achieved their first 500-plus score for the first time at home this season against Leicestershire as they won the match by 10 wickets. Another high-scoring draw ensued against Hampshire after Surrey racked up 474. 
 In the game against Kent, they were outplayed by a haul of 9/178 from <keyword id="159148" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Darren-Stevens">Darren Stevens</keyword> as they lost the match. Kent had notched up 408 and Surrey responded with 398. In the second innings, Kent managed 292 and Surrey folded up for 213. 
 
The trend that can be established from this is that the pitches employed at The Oval this season have gotten better. Teams are managing to score over 400 on a regular basis. The last match against Kent fits the normal Test wicket that The Oval normally produces. It is good for batting and crumbles away as the game wears on. 
 
Conclusion 
 
The situation confronting India is pretty similar to the one they faced against Australia in 1981. After losing the first Test, they drew the second and won the third to level the series. In England 2014, India are currently trailing 1-2 and a win will go a long way in salvaging some pride for them. With their overseas record deteriorating and with all top players under immense pressure, India can take a leaf out of their opponents book by performing like they did in 2003. Against South Africa at The Oval in 2003, a double-ton from Marcus Trescothick and a fine bowling display helped England finish the summer on a high by drawing the series 2-2. That win was the revival of their cricketing fortunes. India will be hoping that a win in 2014 at this venue sparks off a similar trend.

India Look To Revive Good Memories At The Oval

Following an embarrassing 3-1 defeat to England, Gocricket.com has the Indian players' report cards ready here. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a>: 5/10 
 Dhawan was India's highest run-scorer in the two-Test series against New Zealand with 215 from four innings. However, the Delhi batsman couldn't create the same impact against England: he managed 122 runs at an average of 20 with a highest of 37. His technical flaws were widely exposed by <keyword id="80896" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="James-Anderson">James Anderson</keyword>, who gave Dhawan a tough time outside the offstump. While he looked good in patches during his innings of 29 at Trent Bridge, 31 at Lord's and 37 at The Ageas Bowl, he couldn't convert them into anything productive. Most of his dismissals came in the initial part of the innings which dented India's hopes of getting off to a decent start. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/murali-vijay/4001/4102">Murali Vijay</a>: 7/10 
 
Dhawan's opening partner got off to a start few imagined him to. His 146 at Trent Bridge was his fourth century in Tests and first in England. He followed it up with consecutive half-centuries - 52 in the second innings and 95 at Lord's - but lost his bearings thereafter. In the next seven innings, Vijay made just 109 runs and his average - which at one point in the series touched 80 - dropped to 40.20. He wasn't troubled much at Trent Bridge and Lord's but in Southampton, Vijay was unlucky to play on and get run out. It was at Old Trafford and The Oval that he looked out of sorts, throwing his bat at away-going deliveries and flummoxed by those that darted in. A decent series all in all, but it could have been better. Considering the way his team-mates performed, Vijay was one of the few positives for India. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-binny/4001/31034">Gautam Gambhir</a>: 0/10 
 
Returning after an 18-month absence, Gambhir showed so signs of improvement. He was the most unconvincing among the Indian batsmen. His replacing Dhawan for the last two Tests raised many eyebrows. He remained persistent with his tendency to poke at balls outside offstump and looked like a sitting duck in each innings. An edge to gully, a run-out and a caught behind while trying to leave the ball, such dismissals indicate that Gambhir may have played his last Test for India. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/cheteshwar-pujara/4001/4106">Cheteshwar Pujara</a>: 4/10 
 
Pujara has endured one of the toughest series of his young career. He started off well with scores of 38, 55, 28 and 43 but Southampton, much like it did for India, led to his downward spiral. He had problems with the incoming delivery and even his rock-solid forward defence couldn't come to his rescue. Pujara was out caught behind on six occasions and fell prey to Moeen Ali's offspin twice. With a total of just 222 runs in 10 innings, India's No 3 looked very shaky. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a>: 2/10 
 
The first real forgettable tour for India's most prolific batsman of the current era. The fact that Kohli couldn't score even a single half-century in 10 innings speaks volumes about his failure. With 134 runs at an average of 13.40, statistically he is India's worst batsman on tour. James Anderson had his number throughout the series, dismissing him four times. Kohli was twice out without troubling the scorers and the cobwebs in his head were clearly visible. Twice he was dismissed offering no shot - bowled by Liam Plunkett at Lord's and out lbw to Chris Jordan at The Oval. 
 
Apart from his batting, his goof-ups in the slip cordon added to Kohli's woes. A gloomy series like this can be excused, especially after the string of success he has experienced, but Kohli must realise that a major chunk of India's batting revolves around him. His getting back among the runs is crucial if India are to have any chances in Australia later this year. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane</a>: 7/10 
 
Another example of a batsman who squandered away a decent beginning. Rahane, in only his second Test in England, registered his name on the Lord's Honours Board, courtesy a match-winning century on day one to revive India splendidly. Two fifties followed in Southampton but the promising run was brought to a halt in the last two Tests with Rahane managing 21, 4, 0 and 1. He showed a lot of promise with 299 runs at 33.22 and but the team needs more from him. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-binny/4001/31034">Stuart Binny</a>: 2/10 
 
Much was said about Binny after his selection in the 18-member squad, and as it would turn out, he was another hyped-up player. His only substantial knock came at Trent Bridge - a match-saving 78 in the second innings. He played a horrible shot in the first innings at Lord's and his credentials of an allrounder also took a big blow as he struggled with the ball and went wicketless in all three Tests he got. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a>: Batting 7.5/10, Captaincy 5/10 
 While <keyword id="6397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhoni">Dhoni</keyword> the batsman raised his game in England, Dhoni the captain was another major setback in away matches. With four half-centuries in five matches, the India skipper had one of his best overseas series. His 82 at Trent Bridge was followed by 50 in Southampton where his biggest slip was falling early on day four when India needed him to stay in the middle. At Old Trafford and The Oval, his innings of 71 and 82 were one of only three Indian scores in double digits as the rest of the batsmen crumbled around him. 
 Dhoni's captaincy though looked lifeless yet again. His five-bowler strategy never really came to India's aid, and the decision to ignore Ishwar Pandey raised questions. After leading India to their fifth consecutive overseas series loss, this might mark the end of the road for Dhoni the <keyword id="195040" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Test-captain">Test captain</keyword>. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a>: 5/10 
 
Despite the fact that he and Anderson kept on getting each other out, Jadeja's only meaningful contribution came in the second Test at Lord's, where his counter-attacking fifty set the game up in favour of India. With the ball, he was inconsistent. His wickets either were down to poor shots or the need for quick runs. Ian Bell and Jos Buttler took him apart in Southampton, where he was either too short or generous down the legside. Jadeja remains a strong contender at home but a doubtful starter for away matches. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a>: 1/10 
 
Our very own flat-track bully was drafted into the team at The Ageas Bowl in place of Binny and what did he do? Played a silly shot to Ali in the first innings and fell early on day five to Anderson in the second. Might be a cinch to play on Indian wickets, but his modes of dismissal are only worsening his case of playing abroad. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">Ravichandran Ashwin</a>: 6/10 
 
Ashwin managed to surprise in a role-reversal of sorts. While at Old Trafford he impressed one and all with his batting, The Oval saw Ashwin get back among the wickets. He forged a 66-run partnership with Dhoni for the seventh wicket in the fourth Test and played textbooks shots. Ashwin played second fiddle to Dhoni, who at the other end took calculated risks. Ashwin scored 46 in the second innings as India went down by an innings and 54 runs. At The Oval, Ashwin finally took his first wicket since 2012 and his 3/72 kept things tight. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a>: 8/10 
 
The conditions in England were supposed to ideal for Bhuvneshwar's style of bowling and he proved the theory right with figures of 5/82 and 6/82 in the first two Tests. But as soon as the English batsmen came into their own, the Uttar Pradesh bowler was a tired figure out in the middle. Once the batsmen negotiated with his early movement, scoring became easy. And even though in the third and fourth Test he took 3/101 and 3/75, Bhuvneshwar lacked support at the other end. 
 
To see him bat nicely in the series was a pleasant surprise. Scores of 63, 58 and 52 in the first three innings of the series were an added bonus for the team. With 19 wickets at 26.63 and 247 runs at 27.44, Bhuvneshwar had a series to remember. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a>: 7/10 
 
Ishant was supposed to spearhead the Indian attack in England and many believed that the win at Lord's - where he took a career best 7/74 - had finally established Ishant as India's premier fast bowler. But an unlikely injury after the historic triumph was a case of bad luck for India. And when Ishant came back, it was fairly evident that he wasn't the same bowler who etched his name of on the Lord's Honours Board. At The Oval, he was predictably short and Stuart Broad took the attack to him despite batting with a broken nose. Ishant looked a bit ragged in his 4/96. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/varun-aaron/4001/30019">Varun Aaron: 5/10</a> 
 
The Jharkhand fast bowler made a return to Tests after December 2011 with plenty of calls for his inclusion for the fourth Test, in Ishant's absence. And even though he dismissed Ali with a peach of a delivery and broke Broad's nose, Aaron was mostly erratic, wasting energy on bowling far too many short balls. He bagged five wickets at an average of 50 - which included him conceding runs at over five an over at The Oval. But there is no doubt that he caught a few eyes with his pace. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a>: 4/10 
 Known as a workhorse in domestic circuit, Pankaj bowled with a lot of heart in Southampton after getting a debut in place of an injured Ishant. He was unlucky twice after Jadeja put down <keyword id="9234" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Alastair-Cook">Alastair Cook</keyword> in the first session followed by an umpiring error that reprieved Bell. Pankaj finally tasted success after toiling for 47 overs in Southampton and almost 23 overs in Manchester, where he bowled bad balls too frequently and went over four an over. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mohammed-shami/4001/30030">Mohammed Shami</a>: 2/10 
 
Shami bowled with good pace in three Tests but was overall ordinary. His five wickets in the series came every 115 deliveries and at the cost of 73.20 runs. But with the next series taking place against the West Indies, he might return on the basis of what he did against them last year.

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