India will step onto the field at Old Trafford on Wednesday with the odds stacked heavily against them — trailing 2–1 in the series, grappling with a spate of injuries, and confronting a venue where victory has eluded them in the past.
After a narrow 22-run defeat at Lord’s, the visitors now face a must-win situation to keep the five-match series alive. England, meanwhile, look to ride their momentum and seal the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy with a match to spare.
Injury woes for India
India’s preparation has been hampered by a string of injuries to key players. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remainder of the series, while pace spearhead Arshdeep Singh will miss the fourth Test. Adding to the woes, Akash Deep — who impressed with a 10-wicket haul in India’s win at Birmingham — is also unavailable.
Speaking ahead of the match, skipper Shubman Gill acknowledged the team’s challenges but expressed confidence in the bench strength.
“Akash Deep is unavailable, so is Arshdeep, but we have good players in the team to pick twenty wickets,” Gill said. “It is not ideal to have different bowlers, but I was prepared.”
Gill also hinted at a possible debut for 24-year-old pacer Anshul Kamboj, who has taken 79 wickets in 24 First-Class matches. “We have seen his skill set. He’s very close to making his debut,” Gill said. “We believe he can win matches for us.”
With a spot up for grabs, Kamboj is in contention alongside Prasidh Krishna to replace the injured quicks.
Pant to keep, Nair gets backing
Gill confirmed that Rishabh Pant will resume full wicketkeeping duties in Manchester. Pant had shared the gloves with Dhruv Jurel in the third Test due to injury concerns, with Jurel conceding 25 byes in England’s second innings.
Karun Nair, who has managed just 131 runs in three Tests at an average under 22, retains the team management’s backing. “We think he is batting well. No issues with his form. We are hopeful he can turn it around,” Gill said.
Old Trafford challenge
The venue adds another layer of difficulty for India. Old Trafford has traditionally favoured fast bowlers, with overcast conditions forecast for the next five days likely to enhance that trend. Since 2000, pacers have taken 477 wickets here at an average of under 30, compared to 147 wickets by spinners at an average nearing 40.
Chasing in the fourth innings is notoriously difficult at this ground — only four teams have ever succeeded, with 294 being the highest successful chase. As such, the toss could play a pivotal role, with the winning captain likely to bat first.
England captain calls for reforms
Ahead of the fourth Test, England captain Ben Stokes addressed the rising on-field intensity, stating that his team won’t shy away from confrontation if the match heats up.
“It’s a massive series, and heat will be shown,” Stokes said. “Have England been nice? Potentially. But we’re not going to take a backward step. If the opposition wants to be confrontational, we’ll match it. We won’t start anything — but we won’t stand back either.”
Stokes also weighed in on the debate around over-rate penalties, calling for more context-specific regulations — especially for seam-dominated conditions like those in England.
“You can’t have the same rules in Asia, where 80% of overs are bowled by spinners, and here, where fast bowlers shoulder most of the workload.”