Ben Stokes and Shubman Gill (Source: @englandcricket/X.com, @ICC/X.com)
It's going to heat up in rainy Manchester, where England are all set to take on India in the fourth Test to be played at the Emirates Old Trafford. This exhilarating Test match will be played from Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 3:30 PM IST.
England
England are high on confidence after their thrilling win at Lord's, London, by 22 runs. The return of Jofra Archer to the English side after four years' hiatus only boosted their lethal pace bowling attack, while the batting has been doing decently enough so far.
Skipper Ben Stokes has found his mojo not just with the bat, but with the ball as well, bowling long marathon spells in trying conditions. With Shoaib Bashir being ruled out after sustaining a finger fracture, left-arm spinner Liam Dawson makes his comeback into the side after eight long years and has been immediately included in the XI.
India
On the contrary, the Indian side is riddled with injuries, with Akash Deep and Nitish Reddy being the latest victims. Arshdeep Singh, who hasn't featured in a Test so far, is already on the sidelines and will also miss the fourth game. While Reddy is ruled out of the series, Akash Deep will likely miss this game due to a groin issue.
The side was pondering whether to keep Jasprit Bumrah in the side, which is now confirmed, as he will play in this thrilling encounter. To help their cause, the Indian side has instantly called pacer Anshul Kamboj into the side, who is now in serious reckoning to make his Test debut at Manchester. Sai Sudharsan is also in line to make his comeback after being omitted from the second and third Tests, respectively.
On a positive note, Rishabh Pant has recovered from his finger injury and was seen visibly comfortable while batting in the nets alongside keeping, which is relieving news for the visiting camp.
ENG vs IND Head-to-Head In Tests
| Categories | England | India |
| Matches Played | 139 | 139 |
| Matches Won | 53 | 36 |
| Matches Lost | 36 | 53 |
| Matches Drawn | 50 | 50 |
How Will Manchester's Pitch Behave?
The pitch at the Old Trafford in Manchester is likely to support pacers, with three days of rain predicted out of five. It is expected that the surface will be lively, with some movement and swing on offer throughout the course of this game. Historically, Manchester has been on the radar for offering more movement than any other venue in England, but of late, the pitches have been on the slower side and a little flatter, which can aid batters to score runs if it turns out to be anything less than a lively pitch.
Although with overcast conditions, there will be difficulty for batters, while spinners will have to keep bowling tight lines and bowl in the rough to generate some turn. With clouds overhead, the team winning the toss might opt to bowl first to take advantage of the damp conditions and hope that the sun bakes the pitch, making it easier for batting as the match progresses.
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Players To Watch Out For In IND vs ENG 4th Test
England
Joe Root
Stalwart Joe Root played a magnificent 104-run knock in the third Test, as he has a current tally of 253 runs in the series in six innings, batting at an average of 50.60, while striking at 50.70, as he already has a half-century and a century to his name. Building on his reputation, it is likely that we might just see yet another Root masterclass in Manchester.
Jamie Smith
English keeper Jamie Smith has been a major positive for the Three Lions, as he has thumped 450 runs in six innings at an average of 103.75, where his strike rate is magnificent at 85.92. With two half-centuries and a century to his name, Smith is leaving a mark for his national side.
Ben Stokes
English skipper Ben Stokes has been nothing short of outstanding in the series. With the bat, he has 163 runs at an average of 27.16, but his major effort has come with the ball in hand, where he has managed to grab 11 wickets at an average of 29.45, giving runs at an economy of just 3.08, bowling in all six innings so far in this series. With him bowling long marathon spells, England are always in a greater position because of his outstanding all-round ability.
India
Rishabh Pant
Test specialist wicketkeeping batter Rishabh Pant has been in fabulous form so far, with 425 runs in the series in six innings, where his average is 70.83, while striking runs at a 78.41 strike rate. With two centuries and two half-centuries so far, Pant has been one of India's major assets both with bat and gloves in his hand.
Shubman Gill
Indian skipper Shubman Gill has been oozing class in the series, especially in the second Test, where he was undefeatable. Gill, who has featured in six innings so far, has 607 runs to his name, at an average of 101.16, while striking at 71.83, with three centuries in the series at this time.
Jasprit Bumrah
The finest ever pacer to come out of India, Jasprit Bumrah, has stood above the others with 12 wickets in the series in just four innings at an average of 21, while bowling at an economy of just 2.90. Already having two five-fers to his name, Bumrah will be aiming for yet another masterclass with the red cherry in hand.
Today’s Match Prediction: ENG vs IND 4th Test
England: Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Jofra Archer
India: KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj
ENG vs IND 4th Test: Predicted Score
Predicted first innings score: 280-300
Predicted second innings score: 340-370
Predicted third innings score: 300-320
Predicted fourth innings score: 250-270
Predicted Result: Depending on the conditions, the team batting second will have an advantage in the match.
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.jpg?type=mq "Arnav Chopra")
