England vs India – 4th Test Match Preview and Prediction
Headingley’s fortunes favored the hosts, putting the series in a wonderfully balanced position. England and India are locked 1-1 in the series, and with only two matches remaining, both teams have a lot to play for. Furthermore, the outcomes of this series will be counted towards the ICC Test Championship 2022, and a victory in the forthcoming battle would go a long way toward establishing supremacy in the series.
The fourth match of the series will be contested on September 2, 2021, at The Oval Cricket Ground in London. The Indians are clearly under the pump after two strong performances in the first two games. England, on the other hand, will be boosted by a number of reasons. Having said that, this is likely to be another exciting test cricket match.
Match Details to Note
Match: England vs India, 4th Test
Date and Time: 2nd September 2021, at 3:30 PM IST
Venue: Kia Oval, London
England vs India Team Previews
England
Few people would have predicted England’s performance in the third match. They not only bundled India out for a low total, but they also guaranteed that India was removed from the equation. They were quite effective in all three aspects of the game and should be full of confidence going into the fourth encounter.
England made a few adjustments to their starting lineup for the trip to Headingley, and they paid off handsomely in the third match. The opening combination of Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns looked more relaxed than ever, giving the middle-order batters greater confidence. Joe Root, as has been the case recently, was sensational, scoring a match-winning century. Despite the fact that England’s tail did not wag, their batting did enough to bother India throughout the game.
England appears to be well-equipped in terms of bowling, with bowlers ready for a variety of circumstances. Not only were Ollie Robinson, James Anderson, Craig Overton, and Sam Curran frugal, but they also picked up wickets at regular intervals. With Chris Woakes due to return to the team, either Sam Curran or James Overton are likely to miss this game. Another possibility is that Jos Buttler will be replaced by Ollie Pope, who has a fantastic record at The Oval Cricket Ground, although in domestic cricket.
Overall, England seems to be a much better team after that victory, but it will be fascinating to watch how they perform if they lose early wickets. Their top-order appears to be overly reliant on Joe Root, which might lead to difficulties. Aside from that, Ravi Ashwin may provide a problem for England’s top-order left-handed batsmen. If England’s batsmen can handle with India’s bowling, they should be a very difficult team to face in this next match.
England Test Squad
Joe Root (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Ollie Pope, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, James Anderson, Sam Curran, Craig Overton, Daniel Lawrence
India
As is frequently the case after a team suffers a crushing defeat; the talk of the town in India is about squad selection. There are several questions that India will be looking for answers to, and they will have to do so fast. Despite the fact that they are still very much in the series, the momentum is against them. Furthermore, their batting has not performed as well as it should have on paper; which is the most worrying element of this Indian team.
It’s not often that a club is bundled out for less than 100 runs in an inning. However, India has reached that unwelcome milestone twice in a relatively short period of time. They were utterly destroyed for 36 against Australia earlier this year; and were swept out for 78 against England in their most recent encounter. Apart from that, India’s batting has been erratic; with the team performing admirably at times and then collapsing for pitiful totals at others.
If Ravindra Jadeja is unable to play in the fourth match, India may be obliged to deploy six batters; and a specialist wicket-keeper, a tactic that Virat Kohli downplayed in the post-match news conference in the third match. If the management decides to go with six batters, Hanuma Vihari is the most likely replacement.
India, on the other hand, has performed admirably in the bowling department. The preceding encounter was more of an exception, with India allowing England to pass the 400-run milestone. Ishant Sharma did not appear entirely fit in the previous match; and we might see Shardul Thakur or Ravichandran Ashwin replace him.
India Test Squad
Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane; Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Ravichandran Ashwin; Shardul Thakur, Hanuma Vihari, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Wriddhiman Saha, Umesh Yadav, Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel; Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna
England vs India Toss Prediction
Both teams will be hoping to win the toss and bat first on this surface; which is predicted to be batsman friendly. At The Oval, the average first-inning score is about 348 runs.
Pitch and Weather Conditions
Although the Kia Oval has an excellent batting surface; there should be plenty in the pitch to keep the bowlers engaged. Early on, the new ball should provide some swing and additional bounce, keeping batters on their toes. The batsmen would try to pass the time in the middle before switching gears. The spinners will be used at the conclusion of the Test, which may compel teams to select an additional tweaker. After winning the toss, both teams will try to bowl first and take advantage of the circumstances.
England vs India Match Prediction
The Headingley test has undoubtedly brought the series back to life. There’s a lot to look forward to in the fourth match, which promises to be another exciting battle. While England seems to be ahead in terms of form and steadiness; India has recently performed well when put under pressure. This is the situation they prefer, as evidenced by our observations in Australia. This will be a great test of grit and character for the tourists; and we expect them to win the next competition.
