IND vs ENG, 4th Test: Concerns for India Ahead of the Match

image-lswulm5kThe absence of Bumrah might affect India's bowling in the fourth Test match (Source: AP Photos)

After losing the first Test, Team India have won two matches in a row to take a lead of 2-1 in the series. Despite missing some key players and facing some tense passages of play, India have done very well to earn the victories.

Rohit Sharma’s men are the favourites to clinch the series now. However, the fourth Test may not be smooth sailing for the hosts. Here is a discussion on a couple of concerns for the Indian side as they embark on a hat-trick of victories.


Jasprit Bumrah’s absence poses a big challenge for India

Jasprit Bumrah has been the standout bowler in the series, clearly head and shoulders above the rest. On flat pitches, with very little assistance for bowlers, Bumrah’s supreme skillset has come to the fore. His extraordinary spell in the second Test ensured India's victory.

image-lswug9edJasprit Bumrah vs other bowlers (Source: OneCricket)

India’s decision to rest their premium pacer is somewhat questionable. The third Test was played after a gap of over one week, and the right-arm pacer bowled 23 overs. So, India could have continued with him, tried to close the series with him, and then rested him later.

Bumrah’s absence has left a huge void in India’s bowling attack. Mohammed Siraj produced an encouraging performance in the last Test, but leading the pace-attack might be too much of a step up for him. Also, his pace has been down for quite some time. There are also reports of Akash Deep making his Test debut, which means India’s pace attack will be lacking in quality and experience. 

The pitches have been batting-friendly surfaces in this series. However, the trend might change in this Test. There are some cracks in the pitch according to England’s vice-captain Ollie Pope. It works in India’s favour.

"There's a lot of cracks. It's very platey, and they've just wetted it as well, which generally dries it up. It doesn't necessarily look like a belting wicket at the moment. It kind of looks like one-half is good, and then there are a lot of platey cracks,” said Ollie Pope.

However, England’s attacking approach will still test India’s bowling attack. Bumrah provided excellent control as indicated by his economy of 2.87 RPO. However, all other Indian bowlers have fared at an economy rate of 3.9 RPO or more. So, Indian bowlers have got a challenging task ahead of themselves.


India’s inexperienced batting unit is vulnerable

Apart from Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja, India’s top-7 lacks experience. While Shubman Gill has an experience of 23 Tests under his belt, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel have made their Test debut in this series, and Yashasvi Jaiswal has played just 7 Tests.

In the previous Test, India’s first innings was derailed at 33 for 3 before the veteran duo of Rohit and Jadeja staged a rescue partnership. KL Rahul’s injury concerns mean Rajat Patidar will get another opportunity to make an impression. Also, while Gill has notched up a century and a 90+ score in this series, his inconsistency issues make India’s batting unit a bit unreliable.

Tom Hartley will test India’s RHB-heavy batting unit on what could be a turning pitch at Ranchi. Against right-handed batters in this series, the left-arm orthodox spinner has scalped 12 wickets at an average of 26.8 with an economy of 2.8 RPO. If England find a way to send back Jaiswal early, Hartley will pose a threat to India’s batting unit. 

image-lswujtjgTom Hartley's record vs Right-hand Batters (Source: OneCricket)

England’s captain Ben Stokes is also likely to bowl in this Test. Stokes can reverse swing the ball. Also, England might give a chance to Ollie Robinson who can provide control with the ball. Thus, England are capable of pushing India's batting line-up on the backfoot.