England captain Ben Stokes has continued his remarkable toss streak by opting to bowl first in the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford. The visitors, meanwhile, have handed a Test debut to Haryana seamer Anshul Kamboj and made two additional changes to their playing XI.
Despite no team ever securing a Test victory at Old Trafford after choosing to bowl first, Stokes remains confident his side can buck the trend. “The pitch looks firm with a healthy grass covering, and the overcast conditions make it a good day for the bowlers,” he explained at the toss.
India’s lineup underwent a mini overhaul. Karun Nair was dropped following a series of low scores, with young left-hander Sai Sudharsan replacing him at No. 3. Injuries to Nitish Kumar Reddy and Akash Deep opened the door for Shardul Thakur and debutant Anshul Kamboj to slot in.
Shubman Gill, standing in for India’s regular skipper, admitted some uncertainty over whether he would have chosen to bat or bowl. “I was a bit confused, to be honest. But the way we’ve played in the last three matches gives us confidence — it’s just those key moments we’ve missed,” he said. India have now lost the toss in 14 straight men’s internationals.
England, who won the third Test at Lord’s by 22 runs, made only one change from that side. Liam Dawson, making a comeback after an eight-year Test absence, was named as Shoaib Bashir’s replacement. Bashir suffered a fractured finger in the previous match while attempting a caught-and-bowled.
With the series finely poised and weather likely to play a role, the inclusion of Kamboj and the return of Dawson are set to add fresh intrigue as both teams look to gain a crucial advantage in Manchester.
