Who plays, who sits? Injuries cloud India's Playing XI for 4th Test vs ENG

Business Standard

4 days ago

India cricket team is expected to field a rejigged playing XI for the fourth Test, which starts on July 23 against England at Old Trafford in Manchester. After the conclusion of the third Test at Lord's, the million-dollar question was whether Jasprit Bumrah would feature in India's XI for the fourth Test. However, the narrative has changed completely as the start of the Manchester Test nears.
How will injuries to at least four players in the squad affect India's Playing XI choices?
Ahead of the fourth Test, India has been fretting over the fitness of two key players — Rishabh Pant and Akash Deep. But the list of injured players has now grown to four, with Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy also added.
Rishabh Pant - nursing index finger injury
Since his return from a serious accident, Rishabh Pant's workload has been closely monitored by the selectors. With the fourth Test at Old Trafford approaching, it remains to be seen whether he will play as a wicketkeeper or purely as a batsman. A recent hand injury kept him out of wicketkeeping duties in the third Test, where Dhruv Jurel took over behind the stumps.
Akash Deep - nursing groin issue
Following a strong performance at Edgbaston, Bengal pacer Akash Deep appeared to struggle at Lord's. Reports suggest he is dealing with a groin strain, making his inclusion for the Manchester Test doubtful. With Jasprit Bumrah's availability for the fifth Test also uncertain, the team management is hoping for a swift recovery from Akash; otherwise, they may be forced to issue another SOS to the selectors.
Arsdeep Singh - injured his bowling hand during net session
Arshdeep Singh was being considered for a spot during the latter part of the Test series, but a cut on his bowling hand during a practice session has ruled him out of at least the fourth match. As a contingency, the selectors have brought in Anshul Kamboj — who had impressed in the A series preceding the Test tour — and he is now under consideration.
Nitish Kumar Reddy - ruled out of series due to knee injury
Nitish Kumar Reddy, who had earlier suffered a side strain during the white-ball series against England at home, underwent rehabilitation at the NCA before being cleared for the IPL. However, he managed to bowl only 30 deliveries throughout the tournament before travelling to England. Having featured in the first two Tests, his tour is now expected to end prematurely after sustaining a ligament injury on Sunday.
What do we know so far about India's Playing XI for the 4th Test vs England?
Will Karun Nair get a chance once again?
After the conclusion of the Lord's Test, it has been widely advocated that India should return to Sai Sudharsan for the number three batting position, with many former cricketers calling for Karun Nair to be dropped.
In three outings against England — at Headingley, Edgbaston, and Lord's — the Karnataka batter scored just 131 runs at an average of 21.83, with a top score of 40. While Nair has managed to spend time at the crease, facing 249 deliveries in six innings, his vulnerability to pace and seam has raised concerns ahead of the fourth Test in Manchester, starting July 23.
The 32-year-old's scores of 0, 20, 31, 26, 40, and 14 reflect a string of starts that failed to materialise into substantial contributions. With India trailing 1–2 in the five-match series, captain Shubman Gill may have to decide between persisting with Nair or giving an opportunity to 23-year-old Sai Sudharsan, who is waiting in the wings.
However, the Karnataka batter is expected to retain his position after Nitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out of the England Test series, as the management may not want to make too many changes to the XI.
Will Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant both be part of India's XI?
When Pant injured his index finger, Jurel took over the wicketkeeping duties for the remainder of the third Test. However, Pant came out to bat in his usual position during the innings.
As the build-up to the Manchester Test gained momentum, it has been observed that the management is inclined to field Jurel as the keeper if Pant is not fully fit before the match begins on July 23.
The Indian team management has also been considering playing Pant as a specialist batter.
In this scenario, Nair is again expected to retain his place if India does not opt for a like-for-like replacement for Nitish Reddy.
How has Nitish Kumar Reddy's injury created a major headache for captain Gill?
The inclusion of Nitish Kumar Reddy in India's Playing XI after the first Test brought some balance, especially by strengthening the lower-order batting.
Now, with Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out of the remainder of the England Test tour, the management is pondering whether to include Shardul Thakur — who can contribute with both bat and ball — or bring in a specialist batter or bowler.
Given that Mohammed Siraj has bowled over 100 overs across the three matches so far, captain Gill may prefer to include an extra seamer in the Playing XI.
If Shardul Thakur gets a game, then Karun Nair might have to make way to accommodate both Shardul and Jurel.
Who will replace Akash Deep if he fails to get fit?
When Akash Deep was suffering from a groin issue during the Lord's Test, it was believed that Arshdeep Singh would likely make his Test debut in Manchester. However, the left-arm pacer injured his bowling hand while trying to stop a drive from Sai Sudharsan in the nets. Arshdeep could have added variety to India's bowling line-up with his angle and might have created rough patches outside the off-stump for Washington Sundar. However, those plans seem to have been shelved after the injury.
In terms of team composition, if Akash fails to recover from his groin injury, Prasidh Krishna or Anshul Kamboj might be included in India's XI for the Manchester Test. Harshit Rana is another option the management might consider as well.