Team India Faces Fresh Injury Setbacks Ahead of Crucial Fourth Test Against England

Team India is facing more troubles as they get ready for the must-win fourth Test against England in Manchester. The latest blow came when young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out of the remaining two matches of the series due to a left knee injury. This has raised concern in the Indian camp as Reddy had been showing a lot of potential and his loss dilutes the strength of the team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India said Nitish would go back home and the board wished him a speedy recovery. In addition to him, pacer Arshdeep Singh will also miss the fourth Test after injuring his left thumb while training in Beckenham. The injury was severe enough for him to be omitted and the BCCI Medical Team will still monitor his condition closely.

With both players missing the selectors have brought in pacer Anshul Kamboj as a replacement. Kamboj of Chennai Super Kings in the IPL is now part of the Indian team in Manchester. The BCCI announced this in an official press statement confirming Kamboj's inclusion and also the list of the squad. This last-minute inclusion has brought further pressure on Team India as of now they are trailing in the five-match series with England having taken a 2-1 lead. That makes the fourth Test all the more crucial because if India lose or draw it they won't be able to win the series. So this game is not only significant but now the team needs to win this game as a must.

There are also doubts regarding the fitness of Akash Deep. While there were some doubts raised by experts and fans alike about his availability in full fitness the BCCI has added him to the fourth Test squad. But since Jasprit Bumrah could be rested out due to workload management it is yet to be seen whether Akash Deep will find a place in the playing eleven or not. If Bumrah plays there is a strong possibility Akash Deep could be left on the bench once more. The team management will not have an easy time making the selection for this game since they need to balance the squad appropriately while also monitoring the fitness levels of some players.

There have been increasing demands that spinner Kuldeep Yadav be included in the playing eleven. The chinaman bowler has not featured in any of the three Tests thus far this series even though he was in good form during the early part of the year. The fans and pundits think that his variations would be effective on a Manchester surface that could provide some turn. But the ultimate decision will be based on the match day weather and the pair the skipper and coach want to use.

The existing team now comprises names such as Shubman Gill who is captain and Rishabh Pant vice-captain and wicketkeeper. The other batters are Yashasvi Jaiswal KL Rahul Sai Sudharsan Abhimanyu Easwaran and Karun Nair. In the all-rounding department India still has Ravindra Jadeja Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur who can make contributions both with bat and ball. The bowling attack minus Arshdeep relies more and more on Jasprit Bumrah Mohammad Siraj Prasidh Krishna Akash Deep and newly added Anshul Kamboj. Kuldeep Yadav is the only specialist spinner in the team which indicates India may go for a pace-oriented approach once again unless conditions dictate otherwise.

The timing could not have been worse for Team India as the fourth Test is only days away and the team can ill afford to be missing any of its quality players from selection. It is already a close series and England has the advantage with two victories. If India wishes to remain in the series they must win this match at any cost. That leaves additional burden on the older players such as Bumrah Siraj Jadeja and Pant to rise to the challenge and perform well. The young members of the team will also have to put up their game particularly those who could find a surprise selection in the final eleven given the injuries.

The journey from here onwards is not going to be an easy one. With only two games remaining in the series and the team already plagued by injuries the margin for error is minimal. Every player will have to give it his all and make every session count. The team has a fighting spirit of their own and they will have to demonstrate that now more than ever. The Manchester Test on July 23 will be closely followed by all across the nation in anticipation of a good come back and equalization of the series. Whether the substitutes such as Anshul Kamboj will make the cut and whether the team can get past the reversals is yet to be known but one thing is for sure India cannot afford another blunder.

The Manchester match may determine the fate of the entire series and perhaps even the future selection decisions for the Indian Test team. All players will be under the scanner and each and every decision taken by the team management will have additional importance. The country will be watching and hoping for a change.