With less than two days for the fourth Test, there are a lot of changes that has already taken place in the Indian squad. Even though this Test series is quite a marathon one and has been testing the Indian players until their very core, it is expected that India will have a set core of players following which the changes may take place.
Ahead of the fourth Test of the series, here is how India may line up against England with the needle bent towards India currently as they secured a 2-1 lead despite falling back 1-0 after the first Test in Hyderabad.
Openers: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma
6⃣6⃣6⃣! You have Bazball. We have Jaisball. 💥#YashasviJaiswal #INDvENG #INDvsENG #TeamIndia #BharatArmy #COTI🇮🇳pic.twitter.com/16wDhSyVBT
— The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) February 18, 2024
Yashasvi Jaiswal has hammered two double centuries in two consecutive Test matches and as things stand, it is needless to say that the southpaw will be the obvious pick for the opening slot, particularly after his hard-hitting fearless stance.
The Indian captain smashed a century in the first innings of the last Test match. He is expected to continue similar momentum and with the kind of calibre that he has, Rohit Sharma will obviously be leading the Indian contingent to war once again.
Middle Order: Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel
Despite a few questions clouding Shubman Gill’s judgment, the Prince has been in dream touch and it is expected that he would continue to do what he does best. He has had his share of questions for the bowlers in the third innings at Rajkot. It is needless to say, once Gill starts striking, he usually doesn’t stop before the damage has been inflicted.
Rajat Patidar may have got off to a wrong footing ever since that first innings in the second Test but once again, he is one of those rare batters who has plenty of runs in domestic cricket. It is just a matter of moments and one good knock that will see him back on track.
Ravindra Jadeja’s Player of the Match award performance in the last game made him a rock in the heart of the Indian cricket team and it goes without a saying that the all-rounder is priceless to India’s plans.
Sarfaraz Khan blasted two back-to-back half centuries on his debut in international cricket and it is expected that the right-hander will be going all guns blazing once again. Like the way Rishabh Pant used to bring aggression to the Indian echelons, Sarfaraz Khan has a similar mindset as he wrecks bowlers at will.
Dhruv Jurel looked solid on his debut and with Srikar Bharat’s numbers dwindling faster than ever, and will definitely be keeping wickets with KL Rahul ruled out. He is also an aggressive run-scorer and will be leading the charts for India with the gloves on.
Bowlers: Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep
Ashwin is back from his emergency and when we are playing in India, no one replaces the 500-club man. He is not only an efficient spinner but he is an equally brilliant all-rounder chipping in with crucial runs towards the end.
Kuldeep Yadav may not have emphatically contributed with the ball as the other spinners but he is a partnership breaker and when the batters tend to play the sweep shots extensively, the chinaman can be an unorthodox option, leaving the opposition with a sour taste in their mouth.
Mohammed Siraj will be leading the pace attack in absence of Jasprit Bumrah and the RCB ace quick has done a phenomenal job of leading the pack whenever the opportunity has presented itself. He is a wicket-taking bowler and loves to be on his toes always.
As it has already been confirmed that Bumrah is not going to be a part of the fourth Test, as per inside reports, Akash Deep will possibly be bagging his Test debut. The Bengal fast bowler is a master of the red-ball lengths and with speeds up to 145 clicks and an expert with the new ball in Indian conditions in the longest format of the game, Akash Deep can be a game-changer.
