Will This Playing XI Break India’s Old Trafford Curse

The India tour of England 2025 has been like no other, filled with tons of surprises and intense moments, which puts the fans on the edge of their seats. The third Test being played at Lord’s was a lot intense, as England came out victorious, allowing them to take a 2-1 lead.

Now, the challenge for the Indian team lies in the fourth game, which will be played at Old Trafford from 23 July. A fact which should be noted is that India has never secured a win over England in the Tests played at Old Trafford. Out of 9 Test matches played here between these two teams, 4 have been won by England and the remaining ended up in a draw.

As the Indian team prepares for the next Test, the issues with player selection persist. BCCI has confirmed that Nitish Kumar Reddy, who played the second and third Tests, won’t be available for the remainder of the series due to a knee injury. On the other hand, the debut of Arshdeep Singh, India’s star pacer, might also be delayed as he suffered from a thumb injury.

With the injury woes already persisting in the team, there are some challenges ahead for the fourth Test. It will be intense to see the team combination Shubman Gill brings up for the fourth Test to help India win and draw the series 2-2, before the final clash. Let’s take a look at the ideal playing XI for India, which could help the team end its losing streak at Old Trafford.

Top Order

India’s top order performed well in the previous Tests, which shows stability in the team’s batting line-up. If one batsman fails to perform, the others can score well and take the team to a good score, which determines no change in the top order.

Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal loves to play against England, as has been seen over the past two years. Not only did he dominate the previous home series against England, but he is also performing well in the current series. Jaiswal encountered a failure in the previous match, as he didn’t score well in both innings.

However, the previous match can’t determine the spot of Jaiswal as the names to be dropped. He has still performed well in the current series against England, having scored 233 runs in 3 matches at an average of 38.83, with a century and a half-century.

KL Rahul

KL Rahul, the other opener, is similar to Jaiswal in a way, as Jaiswal loves to play against England while Rahul loves to play in England. As an opener, he has showcased class against the English bowlers, making them think twice about the decisions they take before bowling a delivery to him.

Despite the previous match being played at a bowler-friendly pitch, Rahul managed to score a century in the first innings and also scored 39 runs in the chase. In the current series against England, he has performed well, scoring 375 runs in 3 matches at an average of 62.50, with 2 centuries and one half-century.

Karun Nair

Karun Nair at number 3 could be the best possible solution for the Indian team, taking a look at his stroke play and confidence when he steps against the English bowlers. Although he has failed to deliver a big knock till now, Nair has been able to showcase his potential in the previous match, as we all saw some fine strokes coming off his bat.

In this series, Karun Nair has scored just 131 runs in 3 matches at an average of 21.83, and is yet to score a century or a half-century. However, he scored 40 and 14 runs respectively in the Lord’s Test, which might act as a confidence booster for him in the upcoming match, which will be played at Old Trafford.

Middle Order

India’s middle-order batting line-up would require some changes, as Nitish Kumar Reddy, who played a crucial role in the previous match, won’t be available for the remainder of the series.

Shubman Gill

The number 4 spot remains untouched, and it will be taken by the Captain, Shubman Gill. He has been able to capitalise on the English bowlers in the Test series, which has helped him to score more than 600 runs in the series till now. With the next match being played at Old Trafford, Gill is looking forward to regaining his momentum.

The previous match didn’t go in his favour, as he was also not able to contribute to the team with the bat. However, his contributions have been vital for the Indian team, as he remains the top scorer with 607 runs in 3 matches at an average of 101.16, with 3 centuries. This also includes a high score of 269 runs, which he made in the second Test.

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant, the vice-captain of the Indian team, has also taken up the number 5 spot, as he stands at the second spot in the top scorers of the series. With the previous match being played at Lord’s, he was able to showcase his batting skills, which helped him to be the highest scorer in a series by a visiting wicket-keeper.

During the third Test, Rishabh Pant ended up scoring 74 runs in the first innings, while contributing just 9 runs to India’s chase. This has also marked his place as one of the consistently performing batsmen for the Indian team. In this series, he has scored 425 runs in 3 matches at an average of 70.83, with 2 centuries and 2 half-centuries.

Ravindra Jadeja

Whether it is contributing with the bat or ball, there is only one player who could do it the best for the Indian team, and it is Ravindra Jadeja. He was the lone warrior for India during the chase at Lord’s, and despite his best efforts, the team fell short of winning. In this series, he has taken just 3 wickets in 3 matches at an average of 110.33 and an economy of 3.34.

But his major contributions have come out with the bat in the current series. He has scored 327 runs in 3 matches at an average of 109, with 4 half-centuries, while being not out in 3 of the 6 innings he has played. With Jadeja’s innings, the Indian team got hopes that they would be able to defeat England in the previous game.

Shardul Thakur

With Nitish Kumar Reddy not being available for the Indian team in the remaining Tests, Shardul Thakur would likely replace him in the fourth Test. Acting as another option for pace bowling, Shardul Thakur will also be eager to put some impact with the bat, which he was unable to do in the first Test.

Having scored just 5 runs in the first Test, Shardul Thakur was able to create an impact with the ball. He ended up taking 2 wickets for the team at a time when it was needed the most. It would be a great time for Shardul to prove his worth for the Indian team and become the X-factor.

Lower Order

There are reports that Jasprit Bumrah is confirmed to play the 4th Test against England. However, it is also being said that Akash Deep is likely to be rested in the next game against England, suggesting some changes in the lower order.

Washington Sundar

Playing just two matches in this series, Washington Sundar was able to prove himself as a worthy player with both bat and ball. In the Lord’s Test, he was able to contribute well with the bat, while also taking up the most needed wickets for the Indian team. With the bat, he has scored 77 runs in 2 matches at an average of 25.66, with a high score of 42.

His performances have also been with the ball, as he took 5 wickets in 2 matches at an average of 28.80, with an economy of just 3.41 runs per over. The wickets taken by Sundar in England’s second innings played a crucial role in helping India restrict them to a low total.

Mohammed Siraj

India’s star bowler, Mohammed Siraj, would still be a part of the line-up, as he played a vital role for the team with the ball. Even in the previous match, he contributed with the bat but unfortunately lost his wicket against Shoaib Bashir, which led to England winning the game.

In the current series, Mohammed Siraj is the leading wicket-taker, with 13 wickets in 3 matches at an average of 3.81 runs per over. Whether he is with Bumrah or not, Siraj’s main aim is to strike wickets at the earliest.

Jasprit Bumrah

The main pacer for the Indian team, Jasprit Bumrah, will be playing the 4th and also his final Test for the England series. He has showcased the pinnacle of bowling performances, dominating over the English batsmen, whether it is the experienced Joe Root or opener Zak Crawley.

In just two matches, Bumrah has been able to secure 12 wickets at an average of just 21, while maintaining an economy of just 2.90 runs per over. Along with that, Jasprit Bumrah has also been able to secure 2 five-wicket hauls, dominating easily over the English batsmen at their home ground.

Anshul Kamboj

With Akash Deep reportedly being rested in the 4th Test, there are reports that Anshul Kamboj would receive his maiden call-up for the Indian team. He has performed well in First-class cricket, allowing him to prove himself at the international stage.

Anshul Kamboj was also a part of the India A team against England Lions, where he ended up with 5 wickets in 2 matches and also scored 76 runs. This shows that despite coming down the order, Anshul Kamboj could contribute with the bat too, and he also holds some experience on English pitches with the ball.