Shubman Gill Imparts Big Changes as India Looks to Come Back in 4th Test vs England

Indian cricket team made some daring and unforeseen changes for the fourth Test match against England in Manchester. Following a hard-fought and tight series till now the team management and skipper Shubman Gill felt it was time to make some changes. Three new faces have been added to the team and one name not appearing on the team sheet has left most fans and cricket pundits wondering whether this is the end of Karun Nair's Test career. Gill, the Indian team leader made the decision before the toss which was ultimately won by England skipper Ben Stokes and he decided to bowl first in favorable conditions for bowling.

One of the most discussed modifications in the Indian team was the exclusion of Karun Nair. Who used to be famous for his triple century in a Test match Nair never could repeat such performance during these recent periods. His batting was disappointing in the first three Tests of this series with barely any contribution with the bat. The management and selectors thought it was time to experiment with someone new and thus they decided to include B Sai Sudharsan who has been performing well in domestic cricket and is regarded as a new and potential talent. At 33 years of age Nair now has serious questions hanging over his international cricket future and the decision could well mark the end of his stint in the longest format of the game.

Besides Nair two other players were also dropped on account of injuries. Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy both were injured and ruled out for playing the match. To replace their places India has recruited Anshul Kamboj and the veteran Shardul Thakur. Although Thakur has the benefit of playing international cricket previously this will be an enormous platform for budding Kamboj to test himself on a grand stage like this. These developments indicate that the Indian side is not only searching for the correct combination but is also willing to support new players at times of necessity.

Shubman Gill confessed during the toss that he was perplexed between batting first and bowling but expressed relief at losing the toss since it eased the pressure of taking a difficult call. He complimented the team's play in the initial three Tests that they had played exceedingly well and only faltered during a few crucial moments. He also admitted that the matches had been tough and some time out was necessary for the players to get refreshed and come back stronger. As per Gill the pitch seemed to be a good one and with some rain being expected in the next few days the game could experience some turning points.

England also made some changes, though. Captain Ben Stokes was feeling certain about his decision to bowl first particularly with the overhead conditions favoring the bowlers in Manchester. He said how exciting the series had been thus far with all three matches going down to the wire. He further added that having a break in between the matches was good as it allowed the players to rest and recharge. Liam Dawson was also recalled to the English team following a long hiatus from Test cricket and Stokes hoped for his performance.

For the playing elevens both teams have opted for solid line-ups. India will be starting with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul and then Sai Sudharsan who is stepping in for Karun Nair. Shubman Gill will be leading from the front and Rishabh Pant will be taking up the wicket-keeping chores. The middle order features Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar and the pace attack will be spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Anshul Kamboj and Shardul Thakur provide variety and depth to the bowling attack.

England's playing eleven consists of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett as openers followed by Ollie Pope Joe Root and Harry Brook in the middle order. Ben Stokes will lead the team while Jamie Smith will be the wicketkeeper. With the comeback of Liam Dawson to the team England's spin attack is bolstered and they will also depend upon Chris Woakes Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer for pace and bounce on the Manchester track.

The fourth Test is vital to both teams particularly India who will be eager to square the series. With such major changes and new talent being given opportunities, this game might be turning point. For Karun Nair, this omission might not be a mere temporary setback but may be the final chapter in his Test career. For men like Sudharsan Kamboj and even Shardul Thakur it is a chance to leave a mark and assist India to turn the tables in what has been a gripping and closely contested series. The key words of this blog are Shubman Gill Karun Nair dropped India vs England 4th Test Manchester Indian team changes and bold selection choices.