England v India fifth Test predictions and cricket betting tips: Back India

Free cricket tips, best bets and analysis for Friday's fifth Test between England and India at Old Trafford.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Cricket, 11am Friday

Best bets

India
2pts 2-1 bet365, Hills

R Ashwin top India wicket-taker
1pt 7-2 bet365

C Pujara to score 27 or more first-innings runs
2pts 5-6 Coral, Ladbrokes

Team news

England
Jos Buttler will return to keep wicket, while spinner Jack Leach has also been included in the hosts' 16-man squad. James Anderson and Ollie Robinson may be rested after playing all four Tests so far, while Craig Overton (elbow) will be checked on.

India
Bowlers Ravi Ashwin and Mohammed Shami are in contention to return for the final Test with Mohammed Siraj one of the likeliest to make way.

Fifth Test preview

A series draw is the best England can now hope for from their five-match Test tussle with India but Joe Root's men have plenty of work to do if they are to save the series with victory in the final contest at Old Trafford.

An expectant crowd flocked to The Oval on Monday believing the hosts could complete a historic run chase to take the series lead heading to Manchester.

As it was, they saw England's batsmen crumble, collapsing from 131-2 to 210 all out as India deservedly completed a 157-run victory to seize control of the five-match contest.

India's victory was thanks largely to a sensational second-innings score of 466 and a devastating spell with the ball from Jasprit Bumrah after lunch on the final day.

Jos Buttler is set to return behind the stumps and will provide vocal support for skipper Joe Root, while England's bowling attack could be shuffled for the Manchester Test.

Craig Overton is a doubt and Root remains unsure whether or not to risk 39-year-old James Anderson with the Ashes looming large on the horizon.

While India's batsmen were phenomenal in the second innings in south London, bowlers Bumrah and Umesh Yadav also played important roles.

Over the course of the series Virat Kohli's men have been the better side and would probably arrive in the North West with the series already in the bag had rain not intervened in the first Test at Trent Bridge.

And the weather may be the only thing that has the potential to stop them from winning the series in style this week, although such are England's batting woes that Bumrah and company may not need the full five days to secure victory.

The tourists are also superior in the spin department which could be crucial on the Old Trafford pitch.

Kohli has been reluctant to deploy Ravi Ashwin in the series so far but the world's second-best Test bowler will surely make a return for the final game of the series. And if so, he looks a great bet to be his team's top wicket-taker at 7-2 with bet365.

Ashwin was last in action in the format in the inaugural World Test Championship final against New Zealand back in June, taking four wickets in Southampton. And in the four-match home series against England over the winter, he claimed an astonishing 32 scalps.

Ashwin's Test tally stands at 413 wickets in 79 matches and England have every reason to fear the 34-year-old, who has so often had their batsmen's number.

Another player Kohli should be looking to in the final Test with England is Cheteshwar Pujara.

The reliable runscorer made a slow start to the series in Nottingham with 16 runs across two innings in the first Test. But since then he has posted totals of 54, 92 and 65 and before the pitch starts aiding the spinners in the latter half of the match, he should be fancied to surpass his first-innings runs line of 26.5 with Coral and Ladbrokes.

Weather Forecast

Potential showers and thunderstorm with highs of 20C.

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