Manchester Test: England elect to field; Anshul Kamboj makes debut
What's the story
England and India are set to square off in the 4th Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Old Trafford, Manchester. The hosts are currently leading the five-match series (2-1) after winning at Headingley and Lord's. India, who scripted history at Edgbaston, lost the Lord's Test by a narrow 22-run margin. Meanwhile, England captain Ben Stokes has won the toss and elected to field.
India XI
Three changes in Indian XI
India have made three changes to their XI, two due to injury. All-rounder Shardul Thakur has replaced Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has been ruled out of the Test series. Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan has come back in place of Karun Nair. Seamer Anshul Kamboj has earned his debut Test cap. He has replaced pacer Akash Deep, who was earlier ruled out of the Test.
Information
India's Playing XI
India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.
England XI
England had announced their Playing XI
England had announced their Playing XI for the game, with spinner Liam Dawson replacing the injured Shoaib Bashir. That is the only change in England's XI from the third Test. England's Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicket-keeper), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and Jofra Archer.
Pitch report
How will the pitch behave?
The Old Trafford pitch usually offers a fair contest. This trend is expected to continue in the upcoming match. Batters can expect consistent bounce on the first three days. The team batting first would look to post a substantial total, considering the average first-innings score of around 330. As per Cricbuzz, teams batting first have won 32 of the 86 Tests here.
Information
Will rain impact the game?
The weather forecast indicates a slight chance of rain on all five days of the match. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 19°C while the minimum temperature could go down to 13°C during this period.
Record
India yet to win at Old Trafford
Between 1936 and 2014, India have played nine Tests at Old Trafford. They lost four of those games, with five Tests ending in draws (1936, 1946, 1971, 1982, and 1990). Notably, India haven't played a Test in Manchester since their 2014 tour. Meanwhile, England have played a total of 20 Test matches at Old Trafford since 2000 and have won 14 of them.
H2h record
Overall head-to-head record
Overall, India and England have faced each other in 139 Tests since their first encounter in 1932. Out of these, India have won 36 matches while England emerged victorious in 53. The remaining 50 matches have been drawn. On English soil, the two teams have played 70 matches, with India winning 10 and losing on 38 occasions.