India Faces Tough Test Against England at Old Trafford Amid Injury Woes

Last Updated Jul - 22 - 2025, 05:41 PM | Source : Fela news

India takes on England in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, trailing 2-1 in the series. With key injuries and a poor record at the venue, team selection and form

India Faces Tough Test Against England

India, plagued by injuries, may need to alter its preferred team combination as it prepares to face a revitalised England in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, starting Wednesday, July 23, 2025. India trails 2-1 in the five-match series and is aiming to break its winless streak at this historic Manchester venue, where they’ve drawn five and lost four in nine previous attempts. The visitors had found a stable playing XI after the first Test at Leeds, notably using three all-rounders including Nitish Reddy, who has now been ruled out with a knee injury. His absence weakens India’s lower-order batting depth, previously extending to No. 8 with Jadeja and Sundar in the side. Shardul Thakur, likely to replace Reddy, lacks the same batting prowess and will need to perform better with the ball. India might revert to the Leeds setup, playing only Jadeja as a spinner and strengthening the top six with Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan.

Injured pacer Akash Deep remains uncertain, and uncapped quick Anshul Kamboj or Prasidh Krishna could slot in. Kamboj impressed in training and was part of the India A squad that toured England. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are expected to lead the pace attack. Despite a collective batting failure at Lord’s, skipper Shubman Gill, with over 600 series runs, remains a key player. K L Rahul has been India’s most composed batter, and Rishabh Pant is fit again to resume wicketkeeping duties.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, who struggled against Jofra Archer, will look to counter the English pacer’s threat. Karun Nair will be eager to capitalise on any chance he gets, while Jadeja, solid with the bat, must deliver more with the ball. India last played at Old Trafford in 2014, and their last century here was by Sachin Tendulkar in 1990. England, confident after their Lord’s victory, have named an unchanged side except for Liam Dawson replacing the injured Shoaib Bashir. Dawson, who last played a Test in 2017, adds a spin option on a pitch expected to assist seamers early on due to recent rains and moist conditions. With high stakes and heightened tensions between the teams, another thrilling contest is anticipated. England batter Harry Brook noted the series' intensity, calling the Lord’s Test one of the best games fans had seen.

Squads:

India: Shubman Gill (c), 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.

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