India will face a stern challenge when they take on England in the 4th Test at Old Trafford, starting July 23. Trailing 1-2 in the five-match series after a 22-run defeat at Lord’s, the Indian side, led by Shubman Gill, must produce a strong comeback to keep the series alive.
Despite missing key senior figures like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and R Ashwin, this young Indian team has shown remarkable fight throughout the series.
A loss in Headingley was followed by a brilliant turnaround at Edgbaston, but the Lord’s Test saw India falter while chasing a modest target of 193. The team’s resilience has been admirable, but the margin for error is now minimal.
With that in mind, Gautam Gambhir and the team management are expected to ring in some changes for the penultimate Test. The return of Jasprit Bumrah in the third Test boosted the bowling attack, and he is expected to lead the pace unit again in Manchester. However, two key changes are anticipated in the batting and all-round department.
India vs England 4th Test Team News
India
❌ Karun Nair ➡️ Abhimanyu Easwaran
Karun Nair’s comeback story has not unfolded the way India would have hoped. After three Tests, he has managed just 131 runs at an average of 21.83, failing to convert starts into substantial scores. His lack of impact has made him the least productive batter in the Indian lineup. With criticism mounting, including from Michael Vaughan who hinted at the end of Nair’s campaign after Lord’s, India are likely to hand an opportunity to Abhimanyu Easwaran – a consistent performer in domestic cricket and with the A team.
❌ Washington Sundar ➡️ Kuldeep Yadav
While Sundar’s second-innings bowling at Lord’s was promising, his underwhelming returns with the bat could force the management to opt for a more attacking bowling option. Kuldeep Yadav, who offers a wrist-spin threat and adds variation to the attack, may come in to strengthen India’s chances of taking 20 wickets on a surface historically helpful to spinners in the latter stages.
England
❌Shoaib Bashir ➡️ Liam Dawson
Shoaib Bashir, who picked up the final wicket of India to ensure England’s victory, has been ruled out from the series with a fractured finger. England have called up Liam Dawson for the final two matches and he is likely to get into the playing side straightaway.
Apart from that, the hosts are likely to keep their same team for the Manchester Test. A win at Old Trafford would seal the series for England.
IND vs ENG 4th Test Predicted Playing 11
India: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer