ENG vs IND Test Series: England bring back their star pacer for the second test
Jofra Archer made a return to the England men's test cricket squad for the second test of the ENG vs IND Test series at Edgbaston after a gap of 4 years.
The England Men's Cricket team selection panel announced England test squad for the upcoming second test against India. England are currently leading the five-test match series by 1-0 after winning the first test. The home side chased down the second-highest total of 372 at Headingly to get the lead.
For the second test, they have brought in their star pacer Jofra Archer, who will be playing test cricket after a gap of 4 years. To prepare for the test return, Archer featured in a first-class game for Sussex.
The second test will start from 2nd July at Edgbaston.
Ben Stokes (C), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
ENG vs IND 4th Test Preview | Head-to-head stats, Possible XI, streaming details
In the third Test, England registered a thrilling win by 22 runs. Here is everything you need to know before the ENG vs IND fourth test match at Old Trafford, Manchester.
The fourth match of the five-Test series between India vs England will be played at Old Trafford, Manchester from July 23. England is currently leading the series by 2-1, so it is very important for India to win this match. If India loses here, England will win the series.
In the third Test, both teams scored equal scores in the first innings, but England registered a thrilling win by 22 runs. However, England were deducted two WTC points due to slow over rate.
So far, India has played 9 Tests in Manchester, out of which four have been lost and five have been drawn. India has not won a single Test here till date. The first Test between India and England was played here in 1936. Team India will play a Test match on this ground for the first time after 2014. On the other hand, England has won 14 out of 20 Tests on this ground since 2000. They have lost two matches while 4 were draws.
Here is everything you need to know before the ENG vs IND fourth test match at Old Trafford, Manchester.
The ENG vs IND 4th Test will be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website.
The viewers can watch the England vs India 4th Test live telecast on the Sony Sports Network.
ENG vs IND: Head-to-head stats
England and India have locked horns 137 times in the history of Test cricket so far. Out of these 137 matches, England defeated India 53 times while India come out victorious on 36 occasions with 50 games ending in a draw.
Matches played
139
England won
53
India won
36
Drawn
50
Pitch Report
The surface of the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester can turn out to be beneficial for the batters during the first hour but tends to slow down as the match progresses.
The team winning the toss is likely to go for batting first at this ground. Out of 86 Test matches played at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, the team batting first won 32 times while the chasing side came out victorious on 17 occasions.
Weather Report
According to the Met Office, Manchester weather will be much colder than London’s, with rain predicted during the five-day encounter from July 23 to 27. The temperatures are expected to range between 14 degrees Celsius and the mercury will rise to 23 degrees Celsius.
ENG vs IND Predicted XI
England:Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Chris Woakes, Liam Dawson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
ENG vs IND, 4th test: Three Indian players ruled out, what could be possible Indian lineup?
Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, along with Nitish Kumar Reddy have been ruled out of the ENG vs IND, 4th test in Manchester. Here is the possible lineup of the Indian cricket team in the fourth test.
Indian cricket team management suffered major setbacks ahead of the ENG vs IND, 4th test in Manchester, starting from Wednesday. Two Indian pacers, Akash Deep and Ashdeep Singh, have been ruled out of the 4th test along with all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.
With three players already ruled out due to injuries, Shubman Gill and company will have to find solutions within the squad to name a strong playing XI at Old Trafford.
Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, who was hit on his bowling hand, needed stitches. As per the reports of the Indian Express on Sunday, the Medium Pacer will need at least 10 days to recover. This has already ruled him out of the fourth test, and he is unlikely to return for the final test starting on 31st July.
Arshdeep Singh suffered a finger injury while bowling at the nets. Image | BCCI on X
As per the same report by The Indian Express, another pacer, Akash Deep, who was India's hero in their first-ever Test win in Birmingham, has issues with his groin and back. The Indian team management does not want to take risks with his injuries, and thus, he will be monitored as a precaution.
On the other hand, Hindustan Times reported that all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy suffered an injury during the gym session on Sunday. So he is also ruled out of the fourth test at Old Trafford Stadium.
In the situation where India are trailing by 1-2 in the Test series and needs to win the 4th test, to be in contention to win the series, Gautam Gambhir and company will have to dig deep to find solutions.
Here are the solutions India can go for during the 4th test.
#1 Bumrah, Siraj, Shardul, and who?
Shardul Thakur during a parctice session. Image - BCCI on X
With both Akashdeep and Arshdeep Singh being ruled out, there is certainty that Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj will be India's leading pacers in the fourth test. Although our questions on the workload management of both those pacers, they will have to be at their best if India wants to bring balance to the series.
Now, with Nitish Kumar Reddy's injury, India will have to go back to Shardul Thakur, who played in the first test in Leeds. The Mumbai all-rounder only scored 4 runs and took two wickets in that match.
But if India wants to go for another pacer, they will have the option of Prasidh Krishna and newcomer Anshul Kamboj. Krishna, who did not do very well in the first two test matches, might not be brought back. In that case, Kamboj, who has done well in the first-class games he has played so far, is likely to get his test cap.
Kuldeep last played a test match in 2024. Image | BCCI on X
Now, this has been an inclusion that Indian fans have been waiting for from the first test. Kuldeep, who last featured in test matches for India in 2024 against New Zealand at home, can bring the ex-factor in the bowling lineup. But this will leave the batting lineup a bit thin.
Since Gautam Gambhir has always looked to go for that added batting cushion, it will be hard for Kuldeep to find his place. Even if he plays, will India look to sacrifice Washington Sundar? This would be a very hard question to answer.
#3 Jurel to keep, Pant to play as a specialist batter
Jurel kept wickets for India during the Lord's test. Image | BCCI on X
Along with these three injuries, we had already reported that Rishabh Pant has not recovered fully from the finger injury he suffered during the Lord's Test. In that case, Dhruv Jurel, who kept wicket at Lord's, is likely to play as a wicket keeper while Rishabh Pant could play as only a specialist batter.
If Jurel comes in, India can leave Shardul out and bring Kuldeep Yadav into the playing XI. However, it will only depend on the pitch condition.
ENG vs IND, 4th test: India's possible lineup
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Few legacies in sports are as enduring and inspiring as those of father-son duos who have left an unforgettable mark on the game. Cricket is filled with iconic father-son duos who have captured the hearts of fans worldwide. While some sons struggled to meet the towering expectations set by their fathers, others rose above the legacy, stepping out of their father’s shadow to make their own mark.
In this article, we will take a look at the cricket facts of father-Son duos who played for India.
Cricket facts | Father-Son duos who played for India
Hemant (Father) and Hrishikesh Kanitkar (Son)
A former Indian cricketer, Hemant Kanitkar was a versatile batsman who played for Maharashtra and two international games for India in 1974.
Later on, his son Hrishikesh Kantikar went on to make his India debut as an all-rounder, playing two Tests and 34 ODIs.
Vijay Manjrekar (Father) and Sanjay Manjrekar (Son)
Vijay Manjrekar represented the Indian team from 1950 onwards. His 222-run partnership with Vijay Hazare against England etched his name in history. He played 53 Tests for India.
Sanjay Manjrekar also joined the Indian cricket team in 1987 and played 111 matches. But his career did not last long. Sanjay played 37 Tests and 74 ODIs for the country before he was bogged down by the weight of expectations thrust on him.
Roger Binny (Father) and Stuart Binny (Son)
Stuart Binny and Roger Binny have also played international cricket for India. Roger is currently the BCCI chief and he played a total of 99 matches in international cricket for India, in which he took 124 wickets. Apart from this, he also scored 1459 runs.
On the other hand, Stuart's career was not very long. He played a total of 23 matches in international cricket for India.
Lala Amarnath (Father) and Mohinder Amarnath Surinder Amarnath (Son)
Lala Amarnath played 24 Test matches between 1933 and 1952, he also played 186 first class matches. His two sons Mohinder Amarnath and Surinder Amarnath also became cricketers.
Mohinder played 69 Tests and 85 ODIs. Surinder played 10 Tests and 3 ODIs. Mohinder Amarnath was the hero of the 1983 World Cup victory and was considered one of the best pace bowling batsmen of his time. Surinder Amarnath had made a record of scoring a century in his first Test.
Sunil Gavaskar (Father) and Rohan Gavaskar (Son)
Both Sunil Gavaskar and his son Rohan Gavaskar have played international cricket for India. Gavaskar is considered India's greatest batsman. He is the first player to reach the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket. He played a total of 233 international matches for India.
On the other hand, his son Rohan could play only 11 ODI matches for India.
Both Yuvraj Singh and his father Yograj Singh have played international cricket for India. Yograj Singh's career was not very long. He played only 1 Test and 6 ODI matches for India. In both formats, he scored a total of only 11 runs.
On the other hand, Yograj Singh's son Yuvraj Singh has been a famous all-rounder. He played a total of 402 matches in international cricket for India, in which he scored 11778 runs. During this, he also took 148 wickets.
Yuvi performed brilliantly in the ODI World Cup 2011 and scored 362 runs. Apart from this, he also took 15 wickets. Due to this, he received the Player of the Tournament award.
Kranti Goud struck twice for India in the first powerplay. Image | PA Photos/Getty Images
Nat Sciver-Brunt won the toss and decided to bat first. Her decision took a back seat when Kranti Goud dismissed Amy Jones (1) in her first and inning's second over. Soon, Tammy Beaumont (5) became Goud's second hunt in the fourth over of the match.
At 20/2, England needed a partnership, and Emma Lamb and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt provided that for them. A 71-run partnership for the third wicket bailed them out.
India did miss their chances as Smriti Mandhana dropped Nat Sciver-Brunt on 34, but soon England lost Emma Lamb on 39. Sneh Rana came to the rescue for India with the wicket.
Jemimah Rodrigues took a sharp catch to dismiss England captain. Image | BCCI Women on X
Rana again struck for India in the next over as Jemimah Rodrigues took a sharp catch at short midwicket. The England captain went back to the dressing room on 41 from 52 balls.
Dunkley and Davidson-Richards add 106 for the fifth wicket
Dunkley and Davidson-Richards added 106 for the fifth wicket. Image | ECB via Getty Images
When India were hoping to keep the hosts under 200, Sophia Dunkley and Alice Davidson-Richards' 106-run partnership poured water on that plan.
Both Alice Davidson-Richards (on 16) and Sophia Dunkley (on 23) were dropped by Goud and Jemimah in consecutive overs to help England build that partnership.
Dunkley scored her sixth WODI fifty. Image | ECB via Getty Images
Dunkley went on to complete her 6th WODI fifty while Davidson-Richards scored her second WODI fifty. Davidson-Richards was finally outfoxed by Shree Charani on 53 from 73 as she looked to get going with the run rate.
Sophie Ecclestone gave Dunkley a good hand with an unbeaten 23 from 19 balls. Meantime, Dunkley (83 from 92) was bowled in the last ball of the inning as England scored a modest 258/6 in the first inning.
England celebrating the wicket of Harmanpreet Kaur | Image - Getty Images
During the chase, India got off to a strong start with the bat, thanks to a solid opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal.
However, India lost Mandhana in the 8th over as Amy Jones took a good catch to dismiss her on 28 from 24 balls.
India lost Rawal (36 from 51) in the 19th over, but till then the run rate had reached close to run-a-ball.
Soon, an inept run from Harleen Deol (27 from 44) put India under more pressure. A casual run out and India her in the 22nd over. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur (17 from 27 balls) also returned to the dressing room after Charlie Dean trapped her in front of the wicket.
Deepti and Jemimah add 90 for the fifth wicket for India
Deepti and Jemimah added 90 for the fifth wicket for India. Image | BCCI Women on X
But, a 90-run partnership for the fifth wicket bailed India out of the danger.
Jemimah played a solid inning of 48 from 54 balls before perishing against Lauren Filer in the 42nd over. With India needing 45 from 51 balls, Deepti remained calm under pressure to take India over the line.
Deepti Sharma scored her 14th WODI fifty. Image | BCCI Women on X
Amanjot Kaur again proved her all-around skill with an unbeaten 20 from 14 balls.
Kaur hit back-to-back boundaries to seal the match, while Deepti watched from the other end on 62 from 64 balls.
Deepti Sharma was named player of the match for her excellent inning. India now lead the three-match series 1-0. Not to forget India won the WODI series 3-0 last time on English soil. The second ENGWvsINDW WODI will be played at Lord's on 19th July 2025.
Despite a great fight on the last day at Lord's, India suffered a heartbreak defeat by 22 runs in the third Test against England. Along with this, the discussion has intensified about the batting order of the team, especially the batting at number 3.
After the defeat at Lord's, the Indian men’s cricket team would like to come up with a big show in the fourth Test to level the series. The fourth red-ball match of the ongoing ENG vs IND five-match series will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester from July 23 to 27. For the match at Old Trafford, Indian team management could make multiple changes to the playing XI.
Karun Nair looked solid whenever he was on the pitch in the 6 innings so far. But he could never take his innings beyond 50. Nair scored 0, 20, 31, 26, 40 and 14 runs in the 6 innings so far. During this time, he got out unlucky many times. But it is possible that the team management may now plan to try talented and young cricketer Sai Sudharsan in his place.
23-year-old Sai Sudharsan from Chennai got a chance to debut in the ENG vs IND Leeds Test. But the first opportunity slipped from his hands like sand from his fist. He played innings of 0 and 30 runs in Leeds. The team lost the Test and he was also dropped from the playing XI.
Kuldeep can make a return
Discussions have once again intensified about the inclusion of 30-year-old left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has taken 56 wickets in 13 Tests, in the playing XI. This tour could prove to be a good opportunity to include Kuldeep in the team.
Bumrah and Rishabh Pant out
Before the start of the series, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Shubman Gill, and even Bumrah himself confirmed that he will play only three matches in England, and since the pacer has already featured in two matches out of three played so far, there is a high possibility that he will miss the game in Manchester to return for the final fixture at The Oval in London from July 31 to August 4.
In addition to Bumrah, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant could also miss the match in Manchester. Pant suffered a finger injury during the first day’s play of the Lord’s Test, and as a result, he didn’t keep after 34 overs in the first innings. There is still no clarity over Pant’s injury. If he misses out, then Dhruv Jurel will replace him in the playing XI.
The 24-year-old stumper from Agra impressed with his glovework during the third Test, and he has amassed a total of 202 runs in six innings of four Tests played so far. Jurel’s best score in Test cricket is 90, which he registered against the English team in Ranchi last year.
Akash Deep likely retain Bumrah's place
Akash Deep could only manage to take one wicket in the third Test, but if Bumrah misses out due to workload management, then he is likely to retain his place.
Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav are the other four bowlers in India’s Test squad for the England series, and for the game at Old Trafford, Arshdeep could come in for Bumrah. Arshdeep is a left-arm pacer, and his inclusion will bring variety to India’s bowling attack.