The Indian cricket team will take on England in the rescheduled fifth and final Test at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham starting on Friday, July 1.

The rescheduled Test is part of India’s tour of England last year, which was called off due to rising COVID-19 cases in the Indian camp. The visitors were leading 2-1 heading into the fifth Test, which was earlier scheduled to be played at Old Trafford in Manchester.

India are now aiming to clinch their first Test series win in England since 2007.

However, India have suffered a massive blow as captain Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the fifth Test after failing to recover from COVID-19. Rohit earlier tested positive during India’s warm-up game against Leicestershire on Saturday. Vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah will lead the Indian team in the absence of Rohit.

On the other hand, England will be brimming with confidence after they whitewashed World Test Championship (WTC) holders New Zealand in the recently-concluded three-match Test series.

England have a superior head-to-head record against India in Test cricket, winning 49 of the 130 matches that they have played so far. India have secured 31 victories while 50 matches have ended in draws.

Ahead of the much-anticipated fifth Test, here are few player battles which could decide the outcome of the match:

Virat Kohli vs James Anderson

Considering their past rivalry, Indian star batter Virat Kohli facing England’s premier fast bowler James Anderson will be one of the most fascinating player battles to look forward to in the Edgbaston Test. Anderson troubled Kohli during India’s tour of England in 2014, dismissing him four times as he conceded just 14 runs. However, Kohli bounced back strongly four years later as he scored 114 runs off Anderson’s bowling without being dismissed even once. Overall, Anderson has dismissed Kohli seven times in Test cricket while the former India captain has amassed 297 runs at an average of 42.40. Kohli played an impressive knock of 67 runs against Leicestershire in the warm-up game and will look to score big in the fifth Test.

Jasprit Bumrah vs Joe Root

India’s stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah has an impressive record against England’s Joe Root in Test cricket. Bumrah has picked the important wicket of Root six times in the longest format of the game. Meanwhile, the former England captain has scored 194 runs off 418 balls that he faced against Bumrah. However, Root has been in scintillating form this year, amassing 754 runs in eight matches at an average of 53.85 including four centuries and one fifty to his name. On the other hand, Bumrah has been the leading wicket-taker in the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle, claiming 40 wickets in nine matches at an economy of 2.54. Bumrah-led India need to remove Root quickly if they are to take the upper hand in the game.

Chesteshwar Pujara vs Jack Leach

Cheteshwar Pujara will play an important role for Team India in the absence of regular opener Rohit Sharma. Pujara has scored 227 runs against England in the ongoing series at an average of 36.97 including just two fifties. Interestingly, England left-arm spinner Jack Leach has previously troubled Pujara, picking his wicket four times while conceding just 61 runs at an average of 15.25. Leach will be looking to continue his splendid form after bagging 13 wickets in two Tests against New Zealand. The battle between Pujara and Leach could determine the result of the fifth Test in Birmingham.

With a lot at stake, expect a close encounter between hosts England and India at Edgbaston. The match will start at 3:00 PM IST (Indian Standard Time).