13:48 (IST)
Hello and welcome to the coverage of Day 1 of the 4th Test between India and England at The Oval. Play starts at 3.30 pm IST, with toss taking place at 3 pm IST. Follow this space for live score and updates.
ENG vs IND, 4th Test Live Cricket Score Updates: Both India and England have had a roller-coaster ride so far in this series. After a positive start, India suffered a jolt with the defeat at Headingley. England, on the other hand, bounced back strongly after the defeat at Lord's. As the team head to The Oval, the battle to take the lead gets intense. We are in for another cracker
Preview: Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane's wretched form and senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's probable inclusion will have the most significant impact on the Indian team's efforts to move on from their Leeds debacle when they takes on a stronger England side in the fourth Test at the Oval.
The high of an inspirational victory at the Lord's was followed by back-to-back batting debacles at Headingley and the penultimate game at Oval would certainly have an impact on both sides as the series heads towards its busin1ess end.
Skipper Virat Kohli had said that a victory at Lord's didn't guarantee a win in the next Test and a defeat at Headingley doesn't mean that an encore would happen at the Oval with the series locked at 1-1.
Not the one to believe that outside noise (fans and experts) should be given much credence, the Indian captain, in his heart of hearts, knows that all is not well with his batting unit and the biggest problem is the performance of its three middle-order stalwarts - the skipper himself, Cheteshwar Pujara and his deputy Rahane.
Pujara might have redeemed himself with a knock of 91 which was high on "intent quotient" but the same can't be said about Rahane, whose form is shaky despite a crucial 61 in the second innings at the Lord's.
In all likelihood, Rahane would get another chance but over the past two years, his inconsistency has hurt this team badly.
If Rahane is dropped at all, then Vihari has a better chance of coming in as he also bowls off-spin.
The Oval track has traditionally helped spinners and therefore Ashwin, who had a six-wicket haul in a county game for Surrey (vs Somerset) might just bring in his 400 plus wicket experience to trouble the English batters who have been wary of him in the past.
But Kohli, whose fascination for four pacers is well documented, might want to replace an off-colour Ishant Sharma with Shardul Thakur, who is more of an all-rounder and it remains to be seen if Ashwin comes in place of Jadeja, who hasn't been penetrative enough.
Similarly, the skipper has indicated looking at the workload of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, both of whom have bowled over 100 overs in the series so far.
If their middle-order is a cause of concern, the other aspect that's bound to give them sleepless nights is the form of rival skipper Joe Root, who has already tallied over 500 runs in just three games with a hat-trick of hundreds.
Jonny Bairstow is expected to keep wickets as Jos Buttler has taken a break with his wife expecting their second child.
However, England have enough resources in their arsenal to trouble India.
Here's all you need to know about when and where to watch the fourth England-India Test match:
When will the fourth India vs England Test be played?
The fourth England vs India Test will be played from Thursday, 2 September, 2021.
Where will the fourth India vs England Test be played?
The fourth Test between England and India will be played at The Oval in London.
What time will the fourth India vs England Test begin?
The fourth Test between England and India will begin at 3.30 pm IST. The toss is set to take place at 3 pm on Day 1.
How can I watch the India vs England Test match?
You can watch the fourth England vs India Test on Sony Six/ Sony Six HD, Sony Ten 3/ Sony Ten 3 HD, with LIVE streaming on Sony LIV. You can also follow our LIVE blog on firstpost.com for scores and updates.
Squads:
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mayank Agarwal, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna
England: Joe Root (C), Moeen, Anderson, Bairstow, Billings, Rory Burns, Sam Curran, Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Malan, Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
With inputs from PTI
from Firstpost Sports Latest News https://ift.tt/3zJmBGM
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