Battling a series of injuries, India will be forced to tinker with their successful playing combination when they take on a confident England in the fourth Test starting Wednesday at Old Trafford, Manchester. Trailing 1-2 in the five-match series, India also have to get over the mental barrier of breaking a winless record at the venue to keep the series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy alive.
India’s preferred balance of three all-rounders has been disrupted with Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out of the series due to a knee injury. Reddy’s contributions with both bat and ball were instrumental in the third Test at Lord’s. His absence now opens up a slot that could go to Shardul Thakur, who played the series opener but lacks Reddy’s batting depth.
The team management might also consider reverting to the Leeds combination: one spinner in Ravindra Jadeja and specialist batters till No. 6, with Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan both featuring in the Playing XI.
Bowling options
With Akash Deep doubtful due to a groin strain, uncapped Anshul Kamboj and Prasidh Krishna are in the reckoning. Kamboj, who impressed on the India A tour, showcased good seam movement in training and could be a like-for-like replacement for Deep.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj remain certainties in the pace attack.
Focus on batting revival after Lord’s collapse
The batting unit, which had performed consistently in the first two Tests, faltered at Lord’s. Captain Shubman Gill, despite low scores in the third Test, remains India’s top run-getter with over 600 runs and will look to lead from the front once again.
Jofra Archer got the better of Yashasvi Jaiswal twice in his successful return to Test cricket, and the young Indian left-hander must have worked on his shortcomings against the extra pace generated by the English right-arm quick.
KL Rahul, arguably India’s most assured batter this series, continues to impress with his composure and strokeplay in testing English conditions. India would, however, expect more from fellow Karnataka batter Nair, who must be feeling the pressure after failing to live up to expectations in the first three Tests.
Pant to return for dual duties
Considering the training session 48 hours before the game, Rishabh Pant appears to have fully recovered from his finger injury and will be performing his dual duties as usual. The wicketkeeper-batter has been in brilliant form with the bat, and India would expect him to fire on all cylinders in the upcoming match.
In the lower middle order, with four 50-plus scores on the trot, Ravindra Jadeja has been rock solid with the bat but is expected to do more with the ball. Washington Sundar, the spinning all-rounder, will also be expected to contribute in both departments.
England unchanged, except for a forced change
While India are in a must-win situation, England will be riding high on confidence after the Lord’s victory and will head into the match with a comfortable 2-1 lead. Like the previous matches, the home side has already unveiled their playing XI, and the only change for Wednesday is Liam Dawson coming in for the injured Shoaib Bashir. The left-arm spinner last played for England in July 2017.
India look to break Manchester jinx
Like the second Test venue, Edgbaston, India will look to break the winless record at Old Trafford. In their nine Test appearances so far, India managed to draw five games while losing four. There’s a feel of alien conditions in the city, as compared to other venues in the country, India don’t play that regularly in Manchester, with their last outing at Old Trafford coming in 2014.
The last Indian century at the ground came from Sachin Tendulkar in 1990.
Recently, rain has been a regular feature in Manchester in the lead-up to the Test, with light showers forecast on all five days. The damp conditions could provide early assistance to seamers, adding another layer of intrigue to the contest.
Squads
India: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, and Anshul Kamboj.
England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (VC), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and Jofra Archer.