Gargi Raut in Manchester
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has spiced up after the third Test at the Lord’s Cricket Ground. After three days of conventional Test cricket, a final over spat between Indian skipper Shubman Gill and English opener Zak Crawley heated things up and the heat never died down. The next two days were a Test cricket fan’s dream come true, some exceptional bowling, raw intensity and gritty fightback led to England’s comeback in the series. Although, the series is far from over. With two more Tests to go, the series is still open and the scales could tip either way.
The caravan now moves from the ‘Home of Cricket’ to the Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester. The Indian team is all set to arrive in Manchester this afternoon via a train and will sweat it out ahead of the fourth test in three practice sessions—one behind closed doors and two official practice sessions, open to the media. Questions loom heavy, will India change the Playing XI? The last time we saw a loss in the series; the management went with wholesome changes into the next game. Will the same strategy be executed once again? Will Karun Nair keep his place at No.3 in the batting lineup, or will Sai Sudarshan come back into the XI?
Perhaps the most important concern here is Rishabh Pant’s injury, one that could possibly disrupt the team combination. Ryan Ten Doescathe in the press conference spoke about the possibility of Pant only playing as a batter. In that case, will Dhruv Jurel make his way into the team? Is there a slight possibility of KL Rahul keeping the wickets, like he did when Pant was recovering from his near-fatal accident? The questions are aplenty, and we will only get to deciphering them when the team starts their official practice.
Another worry among fans is, of course, the weather in Manchester. And the city, true to its nature, is a melting pot of seasons and unpredictability. The weather changes on an hourly basis, Over the past three days, there has been unpredictable rain but also sunshine. There is a prediction of a moderate thunderstorm today, with temperatures going as low as 17 degrees. The first day of the Test match is predicted to be chilly with a 60% chance of precipitation between 10-11 am. On Thursday, chances of precipitation are low. The predictions for the subsequent days are not available yet on the met department website.
As the drama intensifies and the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy hangs delicately in the balance, all eyes now turn to Manchester. With selection dilemmas, injury concerns, and unpredictable weather looming large, the fourth Test promises to be a spectacle that could define the series. Both teams will be desperate to seize a victory, and with the stakes this high, fans can expect nothing short of a riveting contest at Old Trafford.
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