Credit: ICC
After trailing by a 2-1 margin in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Team India will be expected to put up a fight against England in the fourth Test, to be played in Manchester from July 23. India, who have come to England with their dream of winning a Test series on English soil after 2007, have played quality cricket in the ongoing series but have failed to extract successful results.
The upcoming game will be do-or-die for Shubman Gill’s men and they will look to deliver their best to extract a positive outcome to keep their chances of series victory alive. As the crucial match is only a day away, SportsTiger has come up with Team India’s probable playing XI for the contest.
India’s Probable Playing XI against England at Old Trafford
Openers: Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul
Yashasvi Jaiswal failed to be effective in the previous Test and his responsibility will be to regain his form and produce quality knocks from his bat. KL Rahul looked in decent touch at Lord’s and also notched up a ton in the first innings. The team management will keep their expectations high from the veteran in Manchester.
Middle-order batters: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant, and Dhruv Jurel (wk)
Sai Sudharsan might be given the opportunity in the 11-member squad for the fourth Test. Noting Karun Nair’s underwhelming batting shows at number three in the last two Tests, Team India might hand the responsibility to Sudharsan to solidify the middle-order. Skipper Shubman Gill looked completely out of rhythm in the third game but he will strive to lead from the front in the crucial match.
Rishabh Pant, who picked up a finger injury in the third Test, may be seen in the batter’s role only in the fourth game. Dhruv Jurel might be seen donning the gloves and also reinforcing the batting attack while playing in the lower-middle-order.
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar
Ravindra Jadeja has done a magnificent job as a batter for India in this series but he will look to be better with the ball. Manchester’s turf is known for being spin-friendly and the veteran, along with Washington Sundar, will be expected to trouble English batters.
Bowlers: Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj
Anshul Kamboj may be handed his international debut in Manchester. His responsibility will be to assist his senior colleague Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who will look to be at their best to strengthen India’s fast-bowling attack.
Both Bumrah and Siraj have looked disciplined in this series thus far. Siraj is the highest wicket-taker in the series with 13 wickets in six innings of three games while Bumrah has bagged 12 wickets in four innings of two matches.
