Picture Credit: X
After losing the second Test at Edgbaston by a colossal margin, England made a magnificent comeback in the third game, played at iconic Lord’s. In the thrilling contest, Ben Stokes and his men held their nerves and bagged a 22-run win. Stokes led his side from the front and played an instrumental all-round role to help his side get over the second game’s defeat and extract victory at London’s iconic venue. Jofra Archer made a sensational comeback in the Test format, delivering delight to English cricket fans with his bowling.
Following the intriguing victory in the third match, England will look to beat Team India at Greater Manchester, where the fourth Test of the series will be played from July 23. The win in the upcoming match will help the English side seal the series and extend India’s thirst of winning a red-ball series on English soil after 2007. Prior to the important game, SportsTiger has come up with England’s probable playing XI against India for the fourth match.
England’s Probable Playing XI against India at Old Trafford
Top-order batters: Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett
Zak Crawley hasn’t been upto the mark in this Test series so far. In six innings, he has scored only half-century. His side will expect him to deliver something solid with his bat in Manchester. Ben Duckett has also failed to justify his role in the team after the opening Test in Leeds. Both openers will look to be disciplined in the upcoming game.
Middle-order batters: Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith
Ollie Pope has also struggled to be among the runs following the first game. In the second Test, he chipped in with 44 runs but in the second innings, the right-handed batter again looked miserable. In the crucial game, he will be required to step up and dominate Team India’s bowling attack.
At Lord’s, Joe Root showed why he is one of the best batters in the current times. In both innings, he played his part superbly as a batter. Harry Brook’s form witnessed a slump in the third game but his batting numbers at Old Trafford will bring joy on the faces of England’s supporters.
At Manchester’s ground, the 26-year-old averages around 50.00 after playing three Tests. Jamie Smith has been the most successful batter for England in this series and he will endeavour his best to justify his part in the big game.
All-rounders: Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, and Liam Dawson
Captain Ben Stokes looked stunning as an all-rounder in the third match. As a batter, he will look to solidify his team’s middle-order while donning the bowling role, he will strive to be lethal against India’s batting unit again.
Chris Woakes has the potential to hurt India as an all-rounder but in the current scenario, England will want him to deliver something concrete with the ball. At the Old Trafford Cricket Ground, his numbers are fabulous as he has bagged 35 wickets in 14 innings of seven matches with the bowling innings of 5/50.
In Shoaib Bashir’s absence, Liam Dawson might be seen spearheading England’s spin attack. Dawson played his last international Test match against South Africa in July 2017.
Bowlers: Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer
Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer will aim to trouble India again in the fourth game. Archer has shown he can create issues for India’s batting-unit despite making a comeback in red-ball cricket after a long time.
