Shubman Gill loses 5 tosses in a row, India left helpless in England

India’s streak of bad luck at the toss continued ahead of the fifth and final Test against England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval in London on Thursday, July 31. The Men in Blue lost their 15th consecutive toss in men’s international cricket, as Shubman Gill lost the toss for the fifth Test.

India will be eyeing a victory in the final Test at The Oval to level the series. The young Indian side have shown resilience throughout the series, but missed opportunities in crucial phases have left them trailing 2-1 against England. A win in the fifth Test would be a fitting finish to a hard-fought campaign.

India Lose 15th Consecutive Toss, Shubman Gill Yet to Win One as Test Captain

England’s stand-in captain Ollie Pope won the toss and chose to bowl in the final Test. Shubman Gill finished the five-match series without winning a single toss. Since taking over as India’s Test captain, Gill is yet to win a toss.

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Suryakumar Yadav was the last Indian captain to win a toss, during the third T20I against England. After that match, no Indian skipper has won a toss across formats. India lost all five tosses in the white-ball series against England in January-February, and all five during the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Don’t Mind Losing the Toss as Long as We Win the Game - Shubman Gill

Speaking at the toss ahead of the final Test, Shubman Gill said that he doesn’t mind losing the toss. Gill admitted that he was uncertain about what decision to make had he won the toss, given the overcast conditions. However, he hoped India could put up a strong first-innings total.

"Don't mind losing the toss as long as we win the game. Was a bit confused yesterday about what to do, was a bit overcast but the wicket looks good, we'll look to post good runs in the first innings. Should be a good pitch for the bowlers," Gill said, as quoted by Cricbuzz.

"We've got three changes. Jurel, Karun and Prasidh in for Pant, Shardul and Bumrah. We look for a win every game we play, we've come close and it's about that 5-10% extra push, boys will be giving it their all," he added.

India Make Four Changes to Playing XI for Oval Test

The visiting team, led by Shubman Gill, has made four changes to their playing XI, with wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant missing out due to injury. Jasprit Bumrah has been rested as part of his workload management.

Karun Nair and Akash Deep returned to the lineup after missing the last match. Nair was dropped for the fourth Test, while Akash was ruled out due to injury. Prasidh Krishna also returned to the bowling attack. Dhruv Jurel will don the gloves in the absence of Rishabh Pant.

Meanwhile, the home team has also made four changes. Ben Stokes is missing due to a right shoulder injury. Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, and Josh Tongue have replaced Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson, and Jofra Archer.

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