The Old Trafford groundstaff had a busy afternoon on Tuesday as they put in the hard yards to get the playing arena in shape ahead of the crucial fourth Test between India and England. However, with spells of rain and no signs of sunshine, it was a challenge to keep the outfield dry.
As India head coach Gautam Gambhir went out to have a closer look at the surface alongside captain Shubman Gill and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, they seemed visibly concerned over a few damp spots.
Gill had a long conversation with the curator before walking towards the indoor facility for a light training session.
Even though Gill remained optimistic about his team’s chances at the iconic venue, where it has never won a Test match, it will be a challenge for him and his men to adapt to the conditions over the next five days and bounce back in the series.
After a heart-breaking defeat at Lord’s, the build-up to the must-win fourth Test has been far from perfect for India.
With Arshdeep Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Akash Deep ruled out due to injuries, the team management ensured Jasprit Bumrah remains available for the marquee game, while also calling up Anshul Kamboj, a young fast bowler from Haryana.
Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will lead the fast bowling unit, and the injury to Akash and Arshdeep has opened up space for a potential debut for Kamboj, who picked up all 10 wickets in an innings during a Ranji Trophy fixture last year.
Captain Gill admitted that Kamboj, indeed, is very close to donning the India cap, even though a decision on whether to play him or bring Prasidh Krishna back will be made on the morning of the game after assessing the conditions.
As the pitch is expected to be seamer-friendly, it would be interesting to see whether the team management opts for Shardul Thakur over Washington Sundar. Ravindra Jadeja will be an automatic choice as the lead spinner.
Even though the Indian captain backed Karun Nair, who has had a string of disappointing performances, there is a possibility of B. Sai Sudharsan replacing him at No. 3.
Barring the collapse in the second innings at Lord’s, India’s batting has looked steady in the series, and the news of Rishabh Pant’s availability would have come as a whiff of fresh air.
England, on the other hand, has made just one change to its playing eleven, with left-arm spinner Liam Dawson returning to Test cricket after an eight-year gap. Replacing the injured Shoaib Bashir, Dawson comes on the back of a successful county season with Hampshire. While he could make an impact with the ball, Dawson is also a batter of repute, having amassed more than 10,000 runs in First-Class cricket.
Enjoying a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, England will bank on its fast bowling battery, comprising Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse, to make the most of the conditions.
Despite forecasts of rain on the first couple of days, both teams will be hoping to put their best foot forward.
THE TEAMS
ENGLAND XI
England (XI): Ben Stokes (Capt.), Jamie Smith (wk), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.
INDIA (FROM)
Shubman Gill (Capt.), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, K.L. Rahul, B. Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Anshul Kamboj, and Kuldeep Yadav.
Match starts at 3:30pm IST
