England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have named an unchanged England squad of 14 members for the fifth and final Test at the Oval after Australia retained the Ashes urn as the fourth Test at Old Trafford was washed out due to consistent rains.
England was unable to force victory at Old Trafford as heavy rain over the weekend meant only 30 overs were possible on day four and none at all on day five.
The fifth Test begins at the Oval in London from July 27 onwards and while Australia might have retained the Ashes by virtue of them leading the five-Test series 2-1, England still has the chance to keep their unbeaten series run against their rivals at home, intact by winning in London.
As in 2019, England went to South London unable to win the series but with the incentive of denying Australia their first win on these shores since 2001.
Ben Stokes To Lead England, With No Changes In 14-Member Squad For Oval Test
Chris Woakes, who has had a significant impact in his two games and is the team’s second-leading wicket-taker with 12, will need to be evaluated for fitness. However, he has mentioned experiencing quad tightness.
Additionally, Mark Wood’s workload will probably be watched, and England may have to decide whether to start James Anderson.
The selection of Anderson, who has four wickets at 76.75 in the series, cost England at Old Trafford, according to Michael Vaughan, and Josh Tongue or Ollie Robinson might challenge for his spot.
If selected, the match is likely to be the final home Ashes Test for many England players. The next series in the UK is in 2027, meaning the likes of James Anderson, 40, Stuart Broad, 37, Mark Wood, 33, and Chris Woakes, 34, could be playing against Australia for the final time.
Spinner Moeen Ali, 36, is unlikely to play beyond this series after only coming out of Test retirement to cover for the injured Jack Leach.
The next Ashes series in Australia is in the winter of 2025-26.
England squad for Oval Test: Ben Stokes (Captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow (WK), Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood