An India cricket team boggled by injuries will be forced to make changes to their playing XI for the IND vs ENG 4th Test in Manchester. As many as four players are currently battling injuries while the team also has the task of managing the workload of senior pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. With just two days left for the Old Trafford Test, India face in uphill task in getting their combination right for the must-win match.
Predicted India XI for 4th Test
| Position | Player | Role |
| 1. | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Opener |
| 2. | KL Rahul | Opener |
| 3. | Karun Nair | Batter |
| 4. | Shubman Gill (C) | Batter |
| 5. | Rishabh Pant | Batter |
| 6. | Ravindra Jadeja | All-rounder |
| 7. | Dhruv Jurel (WK) | Keeper-Batter |
| 8. | Kuldeep Yadav / Shardul Thakur | Bowler |
| 9. | Jasprit Bumrah | Bowler |
| 10. | Anshul Kamboj | Bowler |
| 11. | Mohammed Siraj | Bowler |
Will India go with 4 pacers or 2 spinners?
India will have a tough time in hand on deciding whether to go with two or just one spinner in their playing XI. It is pertinent to point out that the surface at Manchester is largely seam-friendly, besides the fact that there is forecast for rain during the IND vs ENG 4th Test as well.
With Akash Deep all but confirmed to miss the Manchester Test due to his back injury, India will replace him with Anshul Kamboj in the XI. The youngster was added to the squad in the last-minute amid uncertainty over the availability of Akash and Arshdeep. He will comprise of the pace battery along with Bumrah and Siraj.
Should India want to go ahead with two spinners, then it would be in the form of Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. If Gill and co. want just one spinner, then they could add Shardul Thakur to the line-up, who will serve as Nitish Reddy’s replacement.
Pant to play as pure batter?
It looks like vice-captain Pant hasn’t completely recovered from the finger injury he sustained at Lord’s. There are speculations that India would want to play the southpaw as a pure batter in the IND vs ENG 4th Test. This would mean Jurel will have to don the gloves again, this time not as a substitute but as a member of the playing XI. Jurel addition will also come of good use for India in terms of strengthening their batting order.
Last chance for Karun Nair
Karun Nair has been quite miserable in the ongoing series, having failed to deliver at number 3. However, it is highly unlikely that India would want to show him the door with two games remaining in the series that marks his return to the side after 7 years. If that is the case, then Nair probably has one last chance at the Old Trafford to redeem himself.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Gautam Gambhir avoids back-to-back series defeats, but selection & tactics concerns remain
Top Stories
