In normal circumstances, by the time the fifth Test of a close series between two teams comes around, an air of familiarity envelopes everyone, including followers of bothteams. However, the winds of change have blown so hard since the fifth Test of the 2021 season at Old Trafford, Manchester, in September, got pushed to 2022 July in Edgbaston, Birmingham, that there is very little that is familiar.
Both India and England have a new captain. Both have a new coach. Both teams have lost their vice-captain (Jos Buttler for England, Ajinkya Rahane for India). In fact, if vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah captains the team in place of the covid-hit Rohit Sharma, as reports indicate, India would have had four Test captains this year after KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Rohit.
