All eyes on Team India’s composition ahead of 4th Test at The Oval
Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane's form and senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's inclusion will be in focus as India look to move on from their defeat at Headingley when they take on England in the fourth Test at the Oval starting tomorrow. The game at the Oval would certainly have an impact on both sides as the series heads towards its business 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.
The hosts have a lot of positive takeaways from the Leeds test match. They will be elated with their top-three batter’s performance, scoring half-century each in the test. The skipper, Joe Root, was in his usual form, slamming another century. England bowlers too were brilliant as a unit. On the other hand, despite the loss, India will be happy with the performance of their batting mainstays Cheteshwar Pujara and skipper Virat Kohli.
Heading into the fourth test match, England will be without the services of their wicket-keeper batsman Joss Buttler. Meanwhile, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood return to the host’s squad. For India, there are concerns about the fitness of Ravindra Jadeja. The all-rounder was taken to a nearby hospital to have a precautionary scan on his right knee after the Leeds test. However, there has been no official update yet.
With the series level at 1-1, we're likely to get a cracker of an encounter at the Kennington Oval.
England vs India, 4th Test – Match Details
When: Thursday, September 2, 2021, 3:30 PM IST
Where: Kennington Oval, London