India haven’t lost a Test series at home since 2012-13. This particular statement must have been flashed countless times on various news channels and in the digital world over the last decade. In an imaginary land, even if a visiting side’s captain wishes to erase statements about India’s dominance and aura at home, he wouldn’t be able to.
To make matters worse for Ben Stokes and his band of boys, they are all set to play the fourth Test in Ranchi, after being blown away in Rajkot. They were beaten by 434 runs. Yes, 434! In such circumstances, it is about finding a way to disconnect from the game for a few days and start afresh for the crucial Test.
The coach-captain duo of Brendon McCullum and Stokes has the task of ensuring the confidence in the camp doesn’t ebb away. The essence of England’s success under McCullum and Stokes has been self belief.
On paper, England is a flawed Test side. Five of the seven batters don’t average over 40. One of those two who averages over 40 — Joe Root — has found himself in the news for all the wrong reasons in the series. England have three rookie spinners and a fast bowler who is approaching father’s time.
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That is about the sorry tale of England after clinching a famous win in Hyderabad. Meanwhile, for the home side, the reversals of fortunes couldn’t have been any starker. In the first Test in Hyderabad, they had all the aces, but ended up on the losing side. Since then, India have seized the big moments in every single Test.
At different stages of the second and third Tests, various players stepped up, including young guns like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan. India, though, still have an issue or two to tackle. For starters, they have to fill a massive Bumrah-shaped void in the bowling department. The fast bowler has constantly troubled the defences of all English batters in the series so far. More importantly, he has dismissed England’s mainstay, Root, thrice in the series.
Teams
England: The tourists have already announced the playing XI: Shoaib Bashir and Ollie Robinson have replaced Rehan Ahmed and Mark Wood. respectively.
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wk), Tom Hartley, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson, Shoaib Bashir
India: So, who will fill the big shoes of Bumrah? Mukesh Kumar seemed bereft of confidence and pedigree in Vizag. Akash Deep, his state-mate from, Bengal, perhaps is slightly better suited for the prevailing conditions. On the other hand, Rajat Patidar might get one more opportunity.
Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar/Akash Deep.
Pitch and weather conditions: There has already been enough intrigue and interest about the pitch conditions, especially from the England camp. Stokes went on to call it “very dark and crumbly”. The little bit of grass on the surface has also been shaved. In a nutshell, spin is set to play a major role. There could also be a rain shower or two as the game progresses.
Team quotes
“We have been having a lot of conversations with him (Rajat Patidar). One thing he needs to understand is that this is how this game goes. He has been batting really well, he has scored a lot of runs to get into the team, and he doesn’t become a bad player after two games.”
Vikram Rathour, India batting coach
“There is going to be assistance for the spinners, but also the seam (bowlers) because of the dryness and cracks in the wicket. The way Jimmy (Anderson) and Robbo (Robinson) operate, zoning in on an area consistently, Robbo’s release point, I think we’re giving ourselves a good chance if it is spinning; we also have the chance to take wickets with the quick bowlers if there is some variable bounce.”
Ben Stokes, England captain
Also Read: Akash Deep Eyed to Fill Bumrah-Shaped Hole in Bowling Line-up