The fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series between Team India and England is scheduled to begin at 3:30 PM IST on July 23 at Old Trafford in Manchester. India will try to rally and tie the series, which England presently leads 2-1 after five games.
However, India is probably going to make at least two changes to their starting lineup before the pivotal game. Both all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and fast bowler Akashdeep, who participated in the Lord’s Test, are out with injury. The team now includes new members as a result of their absence.
England had won the first and third Test matches, while Team India had won the second. India will try to make a big comeback to maintain trophy chances as the series is still in the balance. As they enter a match that they must win in order to advance in the series, India’s team management will need to strike a cautious balance between experience and new enthusiasm.
Although the openers are decided, the number three spot is still unknown.
KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal are anticipated to start the Indian innings. In the series, Rahul has amassed two hundreds, including a strong one at Lord’s. With a century in the previous games, Jaiswal has also made an impression. Karun Nair, who has been playing at number three, might be fired, though.
In the six innings he has played in the series, Nair has only scored 40 runs at most and has never surpassed the 50-run threshold. India might think about replacing him with Sai Sudarshan or Dhruv Jurel if he is dropped. Jurel took wickets in the most recent game following Rishabh Pant’s injury, while Sudarshan participated in the first Test but hasn’t appeared since.
Dhruv Jurel might make a comeback in the middle order.
Pant is unlikely to start behind the wickets in Manchester after suffering an injury while keeping wicket during the Lord’s Test. A return to the starting lineup for Dhruv Jurel is possible if the squad desires a specialist wicketkeeper. Nair may then have to take a backseat.
The batting order may also be impacted by this modification. If the club decides to maintain both Pant and Jurel in the squad or chooses to add an extra spinner, all-rounder Washington Sundar, who batted at number 8 in the previous games, could go up the order to number 3.
The absence of Nitish Reddy creates opportunities.
After bowling well at Lord’s, Nitish Kumar Reddy was anticipated to be a vital batsman and bowler. However, he is unable to play in the fourth Test because of a knee injury. India could select spinner Kuldeep Yadav or all-rounder Shardul Thakur to take his place.
Kuldeep hasn’t appeared in the series yet, although Shardul participated in the first Test. Given that Sundar and Jadeja are already all-round players on the team, the decision may be influenced by team balance and pitch circumstances.
Kamboj might make his debut; Akashdeep is probably out.
Due to a deteriorating ailment, fast bowler Akashdeep, who claimed 10 wickets in the second Test, will also be missing the match in Manchester. To replace him, the selectors may choose between Prasidh Krishna and Anshul Kamboj.
Bumrah’s workload is being monitored.
The speed attack is probably going to be led by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. So far, Siraj has participated in all three Test matches. Due to workload management, Bumrah, who has already played in two Test matches, might participate in the fourth one but will probably be rested for the fifth and final match.
