Manchester Test: Will rain disrupt play on Day 1?
What's the story
The fourth Test match between India and England is all set to begin on July 23 at Old Trafford, Manchester. However, the weather forecast indicates a strong possibility of rain disrupting the first day's play. The prediction comes after Manchester witnessed rainfall on Tuesday, hinting that the pattern could continue for several days. Notably, India are trailing 1-2 in the five-match series. This makes the Manchester game a crucial affair.
Weather forecast
AccuWeather predicts increasing chances of rain throughout the day
AccuWeather has predicted a 19% chance of rain in Manchester on Wednesday (Day 1), with the likelihood increasing as the day goes on. The afternoon hours could see a precipitation probability rise to 65%, with around 1.2mm of rain expected during this time. By evening, the chance of rain is expected to decrease slightly to 47%, with about 0.5mm of rainfall anticipated in this period.
Extended prediction
Rain threat looms on Thursday as well
The rain threat isn't limited to just the first day of this Test match. AccuWeather has predicted an 84% chance of rain on Thursday, which could affect play. However, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are expected to be less affected by rainfall. The overcast conditions could favor seam bowlers on the Old Trafford pitch compared to previous Tests in this series.
Team changes
Team India likely to go in with 3 seamers
With Nitish Reddy and Akash Deep missing out on the match, Team India's seam bowling selection is in the spotlight. Hence, Chennai Super Kings pacer Anshul Kamboj might make his Test debut while Shardul Thakur can also return to the team for this match. India are also likely to drop Karun Nair and replace him with Sai Sudharsan. These changes come as India looks to bounce back after losing the Lord's Test and trailing 1-2 in the series.
Squad updates
England announce playing XI
Meanwhile, England have already announced their Playing XI for the game. The team sees the return of spinner Liam Dawson, who has replaced 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. .