India is set to face England in the fourth Test of the England tour of India at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi starting from February 23. The Indian team currently leads the series 2-1 after an emphatic win in the previous match, marking the biggest margin of victory in their Test cricket history. With the series advantage, India aims to secure a series victory with another strong performance in Ranchi.
In the third Test of the series, India won the toss and chose to bat, finding themselves at 33 for three before a remarkable partnership between captain Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja rescued the innings, both scoring centuries. England's Ben Duckett provided some resistance with a brilliant 153, but India's bowlers, especially Mohammed Siraj, restricted them to 319. Batting again, India's Yashasvi Jaiswal dominated once more, securing a double century, supported by Shubhman Gill and debutant Sarafaraz, who set a record by scoring fifties in both innings. India set an imposing target of 557, and England succumbed without much resistance, resulting in India's historic win by 434 runs.
Match Information:
- India vs England, 4th Test
- England tour of India, 23 Feb 2024, Fri, 9:30 AM IST
- JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi
Probable Playing XI:
India:
- Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, RM Patidar, SN Khan, RA Jadeja, DC Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, KL Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar
Bench: KL Rahul, KS Bharat, Axar Patel, JJ Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Devdutt Padikkal, Saurabh Kumar, Avesh Khan, S Iyer, Virat Kohli
England:
- Zak Crawley, BM Duckett, Ollie Pope, JE Root, JM Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), BT Foakes (wk), T Hartley, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson, Shoaib Bashir
Bench: Mark Wood, AAP Atkinson, R Ahmed, DW Lawrence, MJ Leach, HC Brook
Injury and Availability News: Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are unavailable, while Jasprit Bumrah has been rested. England has already announced its playing 11 with two changes – Ollie Robinson and Shoaib Bashir replacing Mark Wood and Rehan Ahmed.
Pitch Report: The JSCA International Stadium Complex pitch is expected to favor bowlers, particularly spinners, as the game progresses. Batsmen are likely to target the first innings for scoring, as conditions become challenging later. Teams winning the toss usually prefer to bat first, with the average first innings score being 261.
Key Stats for IND vs ENG 4th Test
- Only two Tests have been played on this ground so far.
- India has won one match and drawn another at this venue.
- In 2019, India defeated South Africa by an innings and 202 runs.
- In 2016, India played against Australia, resulting in a draw.
- In both matches, the team winning the toss opted to bat first.
- Match Statistics:
- Matches Won by Team Batting First: 1
- Matches Won by Team Batting Second: 0
- Highest First Innings Total: 603/9 (Declared by India vs Australia, 2017)
- Lowest First Innings Total: 162 (South Africa vs India, 2019)
- Highest Second Innings Total: 204/6 (Australia vs India, 2017)
- Lowest Second Innings Total: 133 (South Africa vs India, 2019)
Additionally, India has a 50% winning record at this venue, having won one and drawn another of the two matches played here. Notably, England has yet to play any match at this ground.
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As the anticipation builds for the fourth Test, both teams are gearing up for a crucial encounter. India aims to maintain its dominance, while England looks to level the series. The cricketing world eagerly awaits the action in Ranchi to unfold.
