Due to a groin injury, pacer Akash Deep was unable to play in the fourth Test match against England. He was the third-leading wicket-taker in the series and has been outstanding for India in England, taking 11 wickets in two games. But due to the injury, he was unable to participate in the Manchester Test, and debutant Anshul Kamboj took his place in the starting lineup.
India made two more changes to the starting XI in addition to Akash Deep. A knee ailment forced all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy to miss the series, which allowed Shardul Thakur to play in the opening Test match at Headingley. However, Karun Nair has been laid off. The veteran was backed by captain Shubman Gill before the game, but he was dropped in favour of Sai Sudharsan.
England opts to field
Manchester, England, chose to bowl first after winning the toss. Gill said during the presentation that he wasn’t sure what to do in the middle and that it was a nice toss to lose. The 25-year-old acknowledged that India is behind 2-1 in the series due to the visitors’ defeat in some crucial situations, but he supported the team to rally after a brief respite.
“I was confused—good toss to lose. The way we’ve played in the last three Tests has been outstanding. Some crunch moments we’ve lost, but we’ve won more sessions than them. You could use a break. All three Tests were intense. Looks like a good surface. Nice and hard. There’s a forecast for the next four to five days. Three changes: Sai Sudharsan replaces Karun. Kamboj and Shardul are in as well for Akash Deep and Reddy, who are injured,” Gill said during the toss presentation.
