India will face England in a crucial fourth Test match at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Wednesday, aiming to level the series at 2-2. With India trailing 2-1, this match represents a decisive moment in the series, especially since losing would render the upcoming fifth Test as merely a formality.
Despite a slew of injuries depleting the team, India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah returns to the lineup for this match after missing the second Test at Edgbaston. While team management had initially planned for him to play in three out of five Tests, the outcome of this match could alter those considerations.
India’s injury woes extend to Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the series, alongside Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep, both set to miss this match. Newcomer Anshul Kamboj may debut in place of Reddy, while Shardul Thakur is expected to take his position.
The match will commence at 3:30 PM IST on July 23 and can be watched live on the Sony Sports Network, as well as streamed on the JioHotstar app and website.
Here are the current squads:
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (w), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell.
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (w), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Anshul Kamboj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna, Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel.
The match holds significant implications for both teams, and supporters will be hoping for a competitive and thrilling encounter as India seeks to bounce back.