ENGLAND VS. INDIA: IND’S TOUR OF ENG 2021, 4th TEST | MATCH PREDICTION, PLAYING 11 AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
Preview
Hosts England take on India in the fourth Test of the 5-match series at the Oval in London, starting from Thursday.
England put in a splendid performance to help register an innings win over India in the third Test of the series. With this result, England have managed to level the 5-match series at 1-1. The top-order batters and the pace bowlers laid the foundation for this brilliant victory.
For India, it will be an opportunity to correct the mistakes made in the previous Test. The bowlers tried hard to bring the team back into the game, but it was nearly impossible to make a comeback after getting dismissed for just 78 runs in an inning. The batters have a big role to play in this Test.
Team News
England
With Jos Buttler absent, Ollie Pope is expected to replace him in the playing XI. Chris Woakes is also expected to play in place of Sam Curran or James Anderson.
India
Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari may come into the playing XI in place of Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant Sharma.
Match Details
- Match: England vs. India, 4th Test
- Venue: The Oval, London
- Date & Time: Sep. 2, 2021, at 3:30 PM IST/11 AM Local
Probable Playing XI:
England
Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (C), Jonny Bairstow (WK), Ollie Pope, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, Craig Overton, James Anderson
India
Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Chesteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Weather Report
London is expected to have mostly clear and dry conditions on all days of the match. The temperature will be around 20 degrees during the game.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Oval has been a result-oriented wicket in recent times, with just 1 draw in the last 12 Tests played here. The surface will allow for good stroke play, with swing and extra bounce keeping the batters on their toes. The dry surface will bring in the spinners from both sides as the match goes into days 4 and 5. The average first-innings score in the last five Tests played at this venue has been 357 runs.
Toss
With 4 of the last 5 Tests played here won by the team batting first, expect the captain winning the toss to opt to bat first and put the opponents under pressure. Batting last on this surface can be tricky here. Any total above 330 runs in the first innings will be a good total on this track.
Top Fantasy Picks
Wicketkeeper
- Jonny Bairstow will do the wicketkeeping duties for England, since Jos Buttler is unavailable for this Test. Bairstow has batted in the middle order in the three matches played so far, scoring 147 runs with 1 half century. He is due for a big score in the series.
Batters
- Joe Root has been in scintillating form in the series, scoring 3 centuries in as many matches. With 507 runs at an average of 126.75 and form on his side, he will be looking to deliver another big inning for his team at The Oval.
- Rohit Sharma has been a solid batter for India in the series, spending a long time at the crease and scoring crucial runs. He has made 230 runs in three Tests, including 2 half centuries. He will be looking to score big in this important fourth Test.
All-Rounder
- Chris Woakes is expected to come back into the English team for this Test. He was good with both bat and ball in the Tests against the West Indies and Pakistan last summer, scoring 144 runs and taking 17 wickets. He will look to make an instant impact here.
Bowlers
- Ollie Robinson has had an excellent start to his Test career, with 23 wickets in four matches at an average of 17.65. He is the leading wicket taker of the series, taking 16 wickets including two 5-wicket hauls. He will want to continue from where he left off in the previous Test.
- Jasprit Bumrah has been India's best bowler in the series, with 14 wickets in three matches at an average of 20.07. However, he was not able to maintain his strong start from the first Test. He has picked up just 5 wickets in the last two Tests and will be looking for a strong show here.
Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeeper: J Bairstow
- Batters: J Root, J Burns, R Sharma, C Pujara
- All-rounders: C Woakes, R Ashwin
- Bowlers: C Overton, O Robinson, J Bumrah, M Shami
- Captain: J Root/C Woakes
- Vice Captain: R Sharma/R Ashwin
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can make your fantasy 11 and play fantasy cricket matches. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.
Get fantasy cricket tips on your favorite fantasy sports app and select your own team, Howzat!
