England vs India 2018, 4th Test: Two Probable Changes for Team India

Team India bounced back strongly to keep the five-match Test series against England alive after registering a 203-run victory to bring the scoreline down to 1-2. It was a much-needed win for the visiting team especially after the narrow defeat in Edgbaston and the hiding at Lord’s.

Not many would have predicted them to win the third Test in Nottingham. However, India made a strong comeback and outplayed England in all three departments of the game.

The victory was built mainly around two five-wicket hauls by Hardik Pandya in the first innings and Jasprit Bumrah in the second one. Captain Virat Kohli continued his dream run in the English conditions and went on to smash his 23^rd Test ton in the 2^nd innings.

Virat Kohli missed out the elusive mark in the first innings by just three runs. Ajinkya Rahane well supported him in the 1^st innings and Cheteshwar Pujara in the 2^nd innings. However, India has made changes in all of their last 38 Tests. Even in the 3^rd Test, Murali Vijay made way for Shikhar Dhawan. Also, in the pace department, Jasprit Bumrah replaced Kuldeep Yadav.

Now here are two possible Indian changes which might happen in the 4^th Test at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, starting August 30th.

Prithvi Shaw in place of KL Rahul

The young, dynamic 18-year-old batsman from Mumbai like his idol Sachin Tendulkar has got his maiden break in international cricket at a tender age.

Prithvi Shaw is an outstanding batsman against the swinging ball and has already proved himself in the English conditions. He was part of India A squad where he scored tons of runs and made an immediate impact of his arrival in the national circuit.

Shaw drives brilliantly on the up and can cope with the swinging delivery. KL Rahul, on the other hand, had a pretty mediocre series so far. Though he looked impressive in his brief stay at the crease in the 3^rd Test, the scores of 23 and 30 are just not good enough to keep his spot in Test cricket.

Hence, there is a temptation from the team management to give Prithvi Shaw his maiden Test cap straight away.

Ravindra Jadeja in place of Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin sustained a calf injury during the 3^rd Test and possibly might miss the fourth Test at the Ageas Bowl.

However, India shouldn’t be too much worried about their progress in the series, as they have a reliable replacement in place of Ravindra Jadeja. He is a world-class spinner and might come into play in the next two must-win Tests.

The left-arm spinner relies on line and length to get him rich dividends. He also uses the tough patches created by the batters on day four and day five of a Test match.

With his accuracy, Jadeja has the ability to control the game. Hence the loss of Ashwin shouldn’t be a too bigger factor for the visiting team.