Indian Cricketers: England won the toss and chose to bowl first in the fifth Test against India at The Oval in London. The final Test of the ENG vs IND series got underway with both teams making four changes to their lineups. With regular skipper Ben Stokes sidelined due to injury, Ollie Pope stepped in as captain and opted to field first under cloudy skies.
England currently lead the five-match series 2-1, making this a must-win game for India to level the contest. After facing several injury setbacks, India was forced to tweak their squad for the last two matches, with a few players even making their Test debuts during the series.
However, some Indian players were not as fortunate. Despite being part of the squad, they remained on the sidelines throughout the tour without playing a single Test. On that note, here are four Indian cricketers who didn’t get a chance to feature in any of the matches during the England Test series.
ENG vs IND: 4 Indian Cricketers Who Didn’t Get a Single Game in the Test Series
Abhimanyu Easwaran
Abhimanyu Easwaran is no longer an unfamiliar name. He has been a regular member of the Indian Test squad over the past year and was also part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024–25 in Australia. Despite his consistent performances in domestic cricket, he wasn’t given a chance in the playing XI.
With 103 First-Class matches under his belt, Easwaran has scored 7841 runs, including 27 centuries and 31 half-centuries. While players like Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan were given opportunities, Easwaran was completely overlooked, which sparked criticism from fans.
Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav was perhaps the most high-profile omission from the ENG vs IND Test series. Following Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement, India needs a wicket-taking spinner, and Kuldeep fits that role perfectly. Known for generating turn on various surfaces, his wrist spin makes him especially effective.
Despite having the second-best Test bowling average (22.16) among Indian bowlers in the current squad—and the best among spinners—Kuldeep didn’t play a single match and remained on the bench throughout the series.
Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh’s selection for the England tour was a promising move, especially after his impressive run in T20Is. However, he didn’t get a single game in the Test series. Anshul Kamboj was handed a debut, and others like Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, and Shardul Thakur were tried multiple times, despite underwhelming performances.
India used six pacers in total, but Arshdeep—who was the only left-arm seamer—was never picked. Given England’s right-handed heavy top order, Arshdeep’s ability to swing the ball both ways could have been valuable.
Narayan Jagadeesan
Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batter Narayan Jagadeesan was added to the squad for the final Test after Rishabh Pant was ruled out due to a toe injury. Although Dhruv Jurel was already in the squad as a backup and eventually played, Jagadeesan didn’t get a chance.
Jagadeesan, a flexible batter and reliable keeper, now returns home without a game. He has featured in 52 First-Class matches, scoring 3373 runs, including 10 centuries.
