Defiant India aim to set record against England at the Oval
The leadership of the Indian team has something to think about ahead of the penultimate test of the five-match series against England, which begins on Thursday.
Ishant Sharma’s dip in form is a concern for India, while the workload of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will also be crucial. Shami and Bumrah have bowled over 100 overs in the series so far.
India has added seamer Prasidh Krishna to their squad as a precaution, considering the workload on the frontline bowlers.
The Ashwin conundrum
With the momentum shifted to England after their innings and 76 runs win in the third Test at Lord’s, the onus is on Virat Kohli to make changes in the playing XI and give India’s best spinner Ravichandran Ashwin a chance at Oval, which has traditionally favoured the spin.
Ravichandran Ashwin was the leading wicket-taker — with 32 — in the test series between the teams in India over February and March and wound up being named player of the series.
The Oval has earned a reputation of late for being a pitch that is helpful to spinners, especially deep into a match. It might be hard for Kohli to go without Ashwin.
However, Kohli’s fascination for four pacers is well documented. He might replace an off-colour Ishant Sharma with Shardul Thakur, who is more of an all-rounder, and it remains to be seen if Ashwin comes in place of Jadeja.
Ravindra Jadeja in this series hasn’t been penetrative enough with two wickets from three games. He has played primarily as a No. 7 batsman.
India’s middle-order problem
India’s middle-order is definitely a cause of concern. Including skipper Virat Kohli, his deputy Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant have failed to get going.
Pujara might have redeemed himself with a fine knock of 91 in the second innings of Lord’s, but Rahane’s wretched form might cost him his place in the playing XI.
A total of 95 runs in five innings at an average of 19 is not an indicator of Rahane’s qualities, but a Suryakumar Yadav and Hanuma Vihari might bring in a bit of freshness in the middle-order.
The Root problem
If workload management, the middle-order crisis is not enough, England skipper Joe Root must have given the Indian team management plenty to think about. The England skipper has already scored more than 500 runs in the three Tests with a hat-trick of centuries.
The England skipper has looked in the form of his life, racking up six test centuries this year and becoming the top-ranked test batsman.
India’s bowling coach Bharat Arun has agreed Indian bowlers have given too many loose deliveries early in Root’s innings to make things easy for him.
“We have given him pretty fast starts, and obviously we looked deep into those areas, and we look to stem those,” Arun told reporters during a virtual press conference.
Wood, Woakes dilemma
England’s pace resources are plentiful, with Joe Root having a dilemma given Woakes and Wood are back in the squad after injury.
Mark Wood’s blistering pace and Chris Woakes’s incisive swing bowling and are enough to ensure a bit of workload management for James Anderson.
Woakes has not played a test in the past year, largely due to fitness issues, but is back in contention after making a successful comeback from his recent heel problem.
Pacer Mark Wood was unfit to play in the third Test after sustaining a shoulder injury in the field at Lord’s, and he will be assessed by team medics before a final decision on his availability.
England wicketkeeper and vice-captain Jos Buttler will miss the fourth Test as he prepares for the birth of his second child. Buttler might also miss out in Manchester — so Jonny Bairstow will take the gloves, and either Dan Lawrence or Ollie Pope will come into the lineup at No 5.
