Having failed to seize several key moments and frittered away big chances in the first and third Tests, India find themselves 1-2 down in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series, heading into the penultimate Test at Old Trafford. A win for England in the fourth game and the trophy is theirs, which makes the match an extra-critical one for the visitors. Vital points are also at stake from the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle perspective.
The hosts named their playing XI a couple of days in advance, with the injured Shoaib Bashir making way for the 35-year-old Liam Dawson, who returns to Test cricket after an eight-year gap. India, too, are grappling with injuries, as Nitish Kumar Reddy is ruled out of the series and Arshdeep Singh from the Manchester encounter. The good news, though, is that Rishabh Pant appears to have recovered from his finger injury.
Before the riveting action gets underway in the fourth India vs England Test, let us take a look at three key battles that could dictate its outcome:
Jasprit Bumrah Vs Joe Root
In a media conference ahead of the match, Mohammed Siraj more or less confirmed that India's bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will play at Old Trafford. Bumrah has played two of the first three Tests, which means he is expected to take the field for only one of the next two games as planned.
The seam-bowling wizard thus again becomes the most fearsome bowler to watch out for on either side, and the prime candidate to knock over England mainstay Joe Root. Bumrah had cleaned up Root in the first innings at Lord's, and will likely target the right-hander's stumps or pads with in-dippers in the fourth Test.
Rishabh Pant Vs Liam Dawson
With India's flamboyant wicket-keeper batter Pant seeming fit to bat at the very least in Manchester, he will be the wicket that England most desperately seek in both innings. Pant's approach against the slower bowlers will again be of special interest.
Dawson's return to the English side makes for a fascinating contest, given Pant's history against left-arm spinners. The Indian southpaw will no doubt look to attack the tweaker, and how the first-class veteran responds could set the tone for this encounter.
Shubman Gill Vs Ben Stokes
The battle of the captains could be an intriguing one. Shubman Gill could not do much with the bat at Lord's after a Bradman-esque start to the series, and will look to return to his run-scoring ways in the must-win fourth Test.
But standing in his way would be the spirited Ben Stokes, who showed how far he was willing to stretch his body in the third Test by bowling long spells. Stokes has the happy knack of finding breakthroughs against the run of play, and if Gill gets set in either innings, it's the English skipper he'd have to be most wary of.
