In the current India vs England Test match at Old Trafford, Manchester, England skipper Ben Stokes won his fourth successive toss and chose to bowl first, attributing it to the overcast conditions and a hard pitch with thin grass cover.
Contrary to historical precedent, no side has ever won a Test at Old Trafford after bowling first. Stokes thinks that the conditions are in his bowlers’ favour.
“There’s quite good overhead conditions for bowling. It’s a normal Manchester wicket: very hard, some grass cover,” Stokes said during the toss.
India Hand Test Debut to Anshul Kamboj
India made three changes in their playing eleven, with a much-awaited debut for Anshul Kamboj, the young Haryana and Chennai Super Kings fast bowler. Kamboj takes the place of the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy, while Shardul Thakur replaces Akash Deep, who has been ruled out of action due to injury.
Additionally, Sai Sudharsan has been brought in at No. 3, replacing Karun Nair, who failed to make a significant impact in the first three Tests.
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Shubman Gill: “A Good Toss to Lose”
India’s acting captain Shubman Gill said that he was not sure whether to bat or bowl first, saying it was a “good toss to lose” because of the conditions of a strong batting pitch and cloudy skies. He looked on the bright side of India’s recent form, even though they were behind in the series.
“The manner in which we have performed in the past three games has been incredible,” Gill said. “Just a handful of crunch moments have worked against us.”
England’s One Change: Dawson Back After 8 Years
England had declared their playing XI two days ago, with one forced change. The Hampshire all-rounder Liam Dawson is recalled to the Test team after a gap of eight years, in place of Shoaib Bashir. Bashir broke the little finger of his left hand trying a catch during the last Test at Lord’s, which England won by 22 runs.
Key Takeaways: India vs England, Manchester Test
Indian Test debutant Anshul Kamboj.
England decides to bowl in overcast conditions at Old Trafford.
Sai Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur enter India’s playing XI.
England recall Liam Dawson after 8 years.
Historical fact: No team has ever won at Old Trafford after deciding to bowl first in a Test.
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