Ind vs Eng 4th Test: Will rain interrupt the start in Manchester?

Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester (Pic: X/@BCCI)

Team India is all set to take on England in the fourth of the five-match Test series. The match is scheduled to be played at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester. Currently, the hosts are leading the five-match Test series by 2-1 against India.

Ahead of the match, there were covers covering the pitch due to rain. There are chances of rain interruption during the five days of the game in Manchester. A light rain is expected during the first two days of the play.

Heading into the fourth Test match, India have faced severe blows as two pacers, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh, were ruled out of the match due to injuries. Earlier, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was also ruled out for the remainder of the Test series as he sustained an injury during the gym session.

Speaking about the injuries that the Indian bowlers have sustained, former Team India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said that it has become a serious issue for the Indian bowlers to stay fit.

"I think it has become a serious issue where you don't have Indian seam bowlers staying fit long enough, and that has to be addressed by Indian cricket. We see young, exciting bowling talent in the IPL, and after three matches, they are not seen in the next season. Somebody needs to get to the bottom of it," he said.

With several injuries, there are high chances of Anshul Kamboj receiving his debut cap in the traditional format of the game.

Additionally, it will be interesting to see how skipper Shubman Gill uses his lead pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, if he makes his appearance in all-important clash.

Also, after failing to put big scores on board, Karun Nair's feature in the fourth Test match remains a topic of discussion. If Team India's think tank benches him, Sai Sudharsan would be the potential replacement coming in.

India's squad for the fourth Test: 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, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj.

England's confirmed playing XI for the fourth Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith, Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.

(With ANI Inputs)