Overview

• David Lloyd argued in his Daily Mail column that India’s lack of Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli deprived them of decisive moments in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
• India trails 2-1 in the five-match series and must win the fifth Test at The Oval to prevent a 3-1 series defeat.
• Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket in May following reports of a planned captaincy succession.
• Lloyd endorsed Harry Brook for England’s vice-captaincy role over Ollie Pope, citing Brook’s leadership qualities and consistency.
• Ollie Pope has scored just 200 runs in eight innings since his Headingley century and holds a fourth-innings Test average of 16.7, fueling doubts about his No. 3 position.