No room at Oval for new boys

ED SMITH belied his reputation as the tinkerman of English cricket yesterday when he decided against experimenting ahead of an Alastair Cook-less winter and picked his strongest squad for the final Test with India. A summer of mainly positive changes ends with England allowing Cook one last hurrah at the Oval on Friday before his retirement and Keaton Jennings one more chance to show he can succeed at the highest level. Only the probability of a return for fit-again Chris Woakes, possibly at the expense of Adil Rashid, will stop England naming an unchanged side as they attempt to claim a 4-1 series victory. There were no places for Rory Burns and Joe Denly, the leading candidates to replace Cook, who yesterday signed a new three-year contract to play on with Essex until 2021. England are concerned that the knee injury which hindered Ben Stokes at the Ageas Bowl may stop him bowling altogether in south London, which could lead to a return for Woakes ahead of a ‘second’ spinner in Rashid. Moeen Ali, man of the match with nine wickets in Southampton, looks certain to carry on batting at three after captain Joe Root decided midway through the fourth Test that he would be happier at four. Intriguingly, England have not nominated a wicketkeeper as Jonny Bairstow is still trying to prove his fitness after a finger injury but the gloves look certain to stay with Jos Buttler. England liked the input vice-captain Buttler gave Root from behind the stumps in the series-clinching victory. SQUAD: Cook, Jennings, Ali, Root (capt), Bairstow, Pope, Stokes, Buttler, Woakes, Curran, Rashid, Broad, Anderson.