London [UK], July 30 : Ahead of the fifth and final Test against India, England skipper Ben Stokes said that there is more live grass on the surface and he expects more assistance for seamers on the wicket than any other surface in the series so far.
The fifth and final Test between England and India will take place at The Oval from Thursday onwards. The series is still in England's favour by 2-1, so they will be looking to win the series. On the other hand, boosted by a memorable and resilient draw at Manchester, Team India would be heading with a psychological advantage and with hopes of levelling the series, walking out with their heads held high.
Speaking ahead of the match in the pre-match presser, Stokes said, "I have been expecting it from day one, to be honest (bowling friendly pitches on the tour). But I am not going to lie, this one looks like to have a lot more live grass on the wicket than the other wickets we have been on. So, yeah, I would not be surprised this week in particular that there is a little bit more assistance there for the seamers."
The second day of the Test, on August 1, will celebrate the life and legacy of late English batter Graham Thorpe, who died after committing suicide last year.
Thorpe died by suicide at the age of 55 on August 4, after years of battle with what his wife Amanda described as "major depression and anxiety". Thorpe made his international debut in 1993 and was the mainstay of the English batting throughout the late 90s and early 2000s. The southpaw played 100 Tests and scored 6744 runs at an average of 44.66, with 16 hundreds and 39 fifties to his name. His highest score was 200*. In ODIs, the gritty batter scored 2380 runs at an average of 37.18 with 21 fifties.
Thorpe was a Surrey legend. 'A Day for Thorpey' will raise money for mental health charity Mind through the sale of a limited-edition headband which resembles what Graham wore when he was batting for England. The headbands have been co-designed with Graham's family.
The England great was instrumental in shaping careers and craft of many English modern day greats, including Stokes and Joe Root, working in coaching staff of both England Lions and England senior team.
Speaking on the initiative, Stokes said that Thorpe was an influential character, both as a player and a coach in English cricket.
"You know, a few of us in that dressing room now spent a lot of time around him when we were younger, coming through the ranks. And then, as we got into the main team, Thorpey spent a lot of years around us. So, yeah, it IS going to be a special day for, all English fans, a special day for his family to be able to see how much he meant to English cricket and how much he means to, you know, the current England dressing room. It obviously will be an emotional day, I think, for a lot of people, but also a day where, yeah, one of the greats of the game and greats of English game can be appreciated," he added.
England XI: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope (capt), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jacob Bethell, 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 Jamie Overton, 11 Josh Tongue.
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