With the series being on an absolute cliffhanger and knowing that the winner of the 4th test will not lose the series, all eyeballs are at the Oval. England VS India, the 4th test of the series begins today. After India decimating England at Lords and England annihilating India at Leeds, the Kennington Oval is set for a great game. India has made a change to their squad and so have England! What are the latest updates? Here’s a look: –
Prasidh Krishna added to Indian Squad: –
Prasidh Krishna, the super quick bowler from Karnataka has been around for quite some time. His pace and precise line and lengths are the talks of the town. Add to it the height and consistency that the chap possesses. He has had a great first-class run in the past few years. At the beginning of this year, the bright prospect debuted in the ODIs against the English at home. However, Prasidh’s addition comes as a surprise to many experts. India previously had six really good pace options and adding another one just adds to the headache of the coach.
Chief Bowling Coach, Bharat Arun said, “Prasidh Krishna has been added keeping in mind the workload management issues.” This definitely gives us a hint that Prasidh can probably even make it to the 11 on Thursday.
Ravichandran Ashwin or Shardul Thakur in the team: –
Ravichandran Ashwin, India’s primary spinner is set to come in the mix for the 4th test. With the Oval pitch being batting friendly and offering turns, India is expected to go in with 3 pacers, 2 spinners combo. Ashwin offers an ocean of options with his bat as well. Considering that Ash has played County for a long time now, his experience with the English turfs can come in handy.
Shardul Thakur too is another tempting option. He brings along with him his knack for picking wickets. At times he might go for runs but when he bowls, a wicket or two is just around. To bring in either Ash or Shardul, Ishant Sharma is expected to lose his spot.
Chris Woakes in place of Curran: –
Chris Woakes, the talented English all-rounder has been named in the English Squad. This gives a sign that Sam Curran, the current all-rounder in the team is going to be dropped. Sam has been off-color, off late and his form with the bat too has been a concern. Bringing in Woakes adds to all the 3 dimensions of the sport.
Expected XIs: –
England: –
Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Johnny Bairstow, Jos Butler, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, Craig Overton, James Anderson.
India: –
Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin/Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj.
