
IND Vs ENG, 4th Test: India To Modify Template In Manchester After Injury Setbacks
An injury-ridden India might need to change its preferred strategy when facing a revitalized England in the fourth Test starting Wednesday at Old Trafford, aiming to break their winless streak there and level the series.
After the first Test in Leeds, India had settled on a line-up featuring three all-rounders, including Nitish Reddy, who is now out of the series due to a knee injury.
With Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar as spin-bowling allrounders, India had solid batting until number eight. However, this might change in Manchester, where India has yet to win in nine attempts, comprising four losses and five draws. England leads 2-1 heading into the penultimate game of the series.
Shardul For Reddy?
Shardul Thakur, who played in the series opener, is the direct replacement for Reddy but doesn't offer the same batting prowess. If selected, he would need to improve his bowling performance, as Reddy took crucial wickets in the third Test at Lord's.
India might return to the combination used in Leeds, where Jadeja was the sole spinner and specialist batters were included up to number six, with both Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan in the playing eleven.
Uncapped pacers Anshul Kamboj and Prasidh Krishna are also options, either of whom could replace Akash Deep if he doesn't recover fully from his groin injury. Kamboj, like Akash Deep, can generate significant seam movement and looked in good form during the first outdoor training session before the high-stakes match. He was also part of India A's shadow tour of England.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are certain starters in the playing eleven.
The Indian batting line-up, led by Shubman Gill, faltered at Lord's, and they will aim to correct their course in this crucial game. Despite low returns in the third Test, Gill has scored over 600 runs in the series and needs to return to his prolific form from the team's perspective.
Jofra Archer has twice dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal in his successful return to Test cricket, and the young Indian left-hander will be better prepared to face Archer's pace.
Gill has been the top run-scorer for India, but KL Rahul has looked the most assured across six innings, providing a batting masterclass in English conditions at the top of the order.
Rishabh Pant seems to have fully recovered from his finger injury and is expected to perform his dual duties as usual.
If Nair gets another chance, he will be keen to convert his starts into a big score. Ravindra Jadeja has been solid in the middle order with four consecutive 50-plus scores but is expected to contribute more with the ball.
When: July 23-27
India doesn't play at Old Trafford regularly, with their last match there in 2014. The last Indian century at this venue was scored by Sachin Tendulkar in 1990.
India is in a must-win situation, while England holds the advantage, having led the series at Lord's.
Ben Stokes, as usual, selected his playing eleven before the game, with Liam Dawson replacing the injured Shoaib Bashir. Dawson, the left-arm spinner, last played for England in July 2017.
Manchester has experienced regular rain over the past week, with light showers forecasted for most of the five days. The damp weather will provide moisture for fast bowlers on day one.
The heated exchanges between the teams have added excitement to the series, promising another thrilling match at Old Trafford.
'Every game we've played so far has gone into the last hour of the game, which you do not see very often. I've had a lot of people come up to me saying 'it's been an amazing series, thank you'. Everybody said that the Lord's game was one of the best games that they've watched, so it's been an amazing series and I'm looking forward to the rest of it," said Harry Brook.
Full Squads
India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj.
England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (vc), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.
Get latest Cricket news, live score and match results on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated!
tags :
Ben Stokes England cricket team icc world test championship India cricket team India vs England India vs England 2025 Shubman Gill
view comments
Location :
Manchester (UK)
First Published:
July 22, 2025, 16:11 IST
News cricket IND Vs ENG, 4th Test: India To Modify Template In Manchester After Injury Setbacks
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hindu
27 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Xavi Hernandez and Pep Guardiola's applications were not genuine: AIFF
A day after its top official claimed that World Cup-winning Spanish great Xavi Hernandez was among the applicants for India football coach's position, the All India Football Federation said that the e-mail received in his name was found to be "not genuine" and three others have been short-listed for the job. The AIFF did not reveal the names in the pruned list but it is widely believed that Khalid Jamil, currently the head coach of Indian Super League side Jamshedpur FC, is the front-runner for the post left vacant by Spaniard Manolo Marquez. "The AIFF received an e-mail furnishing the applications from Spanish coaches Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez. The authenticity of their applications could not be confirmed, and it has since emerged that the e-mail applications were not genuine," AIFF stated in a media release. One of its officials, on conditions of anonymity, had stated on Friday that the application of Xavi could not be processed as the AIFF did not have resources to hire his services. The IM Vijayan-headed Technical Committee, it is learnt, has also kept Englishman Stephen Constantine, who has previously coached India, and Slovakia's Stefan Tarkovic in the short-list. Constantine has coached the Indian team in two phases earlier, while Tarkovic is the most decorated among the shortlisted candidates having managed Slovakia during the 2020 Euro Championship, where his team beat a fancied Poland which had Bayern Munich legend Robert Lewandowski in its ranks. "Following comprehensive discussions and a rigorous selection process, 10 candidates were selected for the committee to review, following which, the TC shortlisted three," the release also stated. "Given the immediate needs of the national team, it is advisable to recommend three coaches from the short-listed pool for final consideration," former India skipper Vijayan was quoted as saying in the release. "Other prominent applicants, many of whom are highly qualified international coaches, will be taken into account for long-term strategic roles in the future," he added. National Team Director Subrata Paul, also a former India skipper, spoke about preference being given to those with some understanding of Indian football. "It is a very important moment for Indian football, and we are committed to appointing a coach who not only brings technical expertise but also understands the unique style, culture, and dynamics of Indian and Asian football. "We believe such a coach will be able to connect with our players quickly and effectively," Paul stated.


Hindustan Times
31 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Chess World Cup: Humpy, Deshmukh draw Game 1 in final
Mumbai: Moments before Divya Deshmukh shook hands with Koneru Humpy, she sat pressing her eyes and covering her face with her left hand for a few seconds. Quite visibly and evidently, the 19-year-old wasn't too pleased about the end result of the opening game of the FIDE Women's World Cup all-India final in Batumi, Georgia on Saturday. Koneru Humpy. (HT) A draw isn't the worst outcome for the youngster playing with white, but Divya could look back with a sense of missed opportunity after she couldn't manage to press home the advantage from an aggressive opening. Instead, a draw after 41 moves ensued, which would give the seasoned Humpy a slight advantage going into Game 2 of the title clash on Sunday. The two-time World Rapid champion will play with white in the second classical game and press for a decisive result. Should the deadlock remain on Sunday, tie-breaks will have to be unlocked on Monday to determine the new World Cup champion – who, either way, will be an Indian. Divya had her chances to make a critical push towards that, and even Humpy, 38, admitted she came out of that contest having avoided a potentially tricky slope. Asked in the official post-match interview by FIDE if she felt she had overcome a very complicated situation, Humpy said, 'Ya, I agree', before highlighting the 'clearly better position for white'. Divya placed herself in that better position after a Queen's Gambit Accepted opening. 'I think she prepared for my game, which I played earlier. I just misplayed in the opening and she got into an advantage,' Humpy said. By the 12th move, the teen had gained a positional advantage, as was reflected in the evaluation bar. The key miss came on the 14th move, for which Divya took significant time and was even seen smiling a little while staring at the board. Instead of pressing the attack by developing her queen, Divya traded on b7 and then played It pulled her down on the evaluation bar and brought Humpy back on level terms. Both players then made little inaccuracies. Divya was also now battling time pressure, constantly looking at the clock as it came down to below 15 minutes. Time pressure can often lead to blunders but Divya did not let the clock unsettle her into making one. Humpy, who had plenty more time, remained good in defence. Both players could have agreed to a draw much earlier but carried on looking for any kind of opening. The position was fully balanced once Divya, whose body language remained more animated, came down to under five minutes on the clock. With the black secure and Humpy feeling 'out of danger' after a point, she sat composed. Soon, after another three-fold repetition, the players shook hands.


Hindustan Times
31 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Rahul, Gill lead Indian fightback after England dominate
Mumbai: There are going to be tough days in Test cricket when nothing is going right for you, and the opposition is completely on top. After three closely fought games, India had such a poor outing in their first innings of the fourth Test at Old Trafford. By the end of Day 3 with England 186 runs ahead with three wickets in hand in their first innings, they were already too far behind in the game. India's KL Rahul (L) walks off with captain Shubman Gill (R) at the end of Day 4 of Manchester Test. (AFP) The mettle of a good team is seen in how they respond in such situations – throw in the towel or make a statement by fighting till the last ball is bowled. There were alarm bells when India again turned out flat in the field to play a poor opening session on Saturday. Captain Ben Stokes moved fluently to his 14th Test hundred and then added quick runs to ensure a monumental 311-run lead for his team with one-and-a-half days to go. Being kept on the field for 157 overs, it can take a toll mentally and physically. India's worst fears came true in the 15 minutes they had to negotiate before lunch on Day 4. In the very first over, Chris Woakes struck a double blow. The swing bowler produced a beauty to induce an edge off Yashasvi Jaiswal to be caught in the slip. Next ball, Sai Sudharsan was out for a golden duck, hanging out his bat to also be caught in the cordon. With his team tottering at 0/2, Shubman Gill walked in to bat in the first over itself. It was a real test of nerves for the young captain. There was extra pressure that he had not got runs in the previous three innings. His captaincy in the field had also come under the scanner after allowing England to amass 669, their highest total at Old Trafford. To his credit, Gill chose the occasion to make a strong statement by stroking a delightful half century. Considering what had happened in the first session, it was an important effort to calm his dressing room. It was proof he has the steel to handle the tough situation and the skill to negotiate English conditions. In a superb partnership with the dependable KL Rahul, he put behind the horror start to play through the next two sessions. From two wickets for one run at lunch, India had advanced to 174/2 in 63 overs at stumps. Rahul was batting on 87 (210 balls, 8 fours) and Gill was 78 not out (167 balls, 10 fours). It is the highest partnership for a stand that started at 0/2. It is still a long way to go but thanks to the resilient third wicket pair, the lead is now down to 137 and the visitors' dressing room would have started to harbour thoughts of a draw. England were left to rue the chance they gave to Gill on 46 when Liam Dawson failed to hold on to a catch at gully off Brydon Carse. Gill put it behind to complete his fifty off 83 balls. During the innings he went past Virat Kohli's 655 runs against England in 2016. He is on 694 runs now. Rahul has crossed 500 runs for a series for the first time. Gill had shouldered arms in the first innings to be leg before to Stokes. With Stokes deciding not to bowl, Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer and Carse kept probing that chink against the incoming ball. Gill though was equal to the task with decisive footwork. He was hit on his thumb by a rising ball from Archer but put the painful blow behind and hit some beautifully timed boundaries. Against Woakes, there were two rasping square cuts and a sublime off-drive, before treating the crowd to back-to-back classical straight drives off Carse on either side of the stumps. A model of concentration, Rahul did his usual thing, played late and showed good judgement of his off-stump to leave the balls well. The pitch was showing signs of wear and tear and Stokes introduced spin early. Dawson's first over was played out cautiously, but Gill continued the counter-attack against the pacers to collect two more boundaries off Archer. With Dawson bowling a tight line in his second spell of 12-4-15-0, the two batters were watchful after tea. While Rahul took 141 balls to reach his fifty, with just three fours, he outscored Gill in the final session.