IND vs ENG: England win all-important toss in Ranchi and make two changes, India hand maiden Test cap to Akash Deep; check playing XIs here

England captain Ben Stokes won the all-important toss and elected to bat against India in the 4th Test in Ranchi on February 23 (Friday). England made two changes to their playing XI with Mark Wood and Rehan Ahmed missing out. Ollie Robinson and Shoaib Bashir were included in England's playing XI. For India, Akash Deep replaced Jasprit Bumrah, who has been rested for the 4th Test. 

India playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj

England playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes(c), Ben Foakes(w), Tom Hartley, Ollie Robinson, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson

Transitioning from the intense heat of Rajkot to the more temperate conditions in Ranchi might provide a welcome respite for the English cricket team, currently down 1-2 in the series against a formidable Indian side. India, on the cusp of securing their 17th consecutive home series victory, has displayed dominance on their turf, with an impressive record of winning 38 out of 47 Tests since their unexpected defeat to Alastair Cook-led England in 2012.

Onus on Rohit Sharma to lead inexperienced batting line-up

With key players like Virat Kohli and KL Rahul unavailable, alongside Shreyas Iyer's lackluster form, Captain Rohit Sharma has relied on emerging talent to steer the team, marking a bright spot in the series with their notable performances.

However, India faces a significant challenge with the absence of pace leader Jasprit Bumrah, whose top wicket-taking prowess, with 17 wickets in the series, will be sorely missed in Ranchi. Finding an effective replacement for him could pose a strategic dilemma for the Indian squad.

Ranchi pitch and conditions

The pitch at Ranchi has historically presented challenges for visiting teams, as evidenced in the last Test match held here in 2019. During that game, South Africa found it tough to counter India's pace attack, notably Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav, who together secured 10 wickets. This performance overshadowed the efforts of India's spin contingent, comprising Ashwin, Jadeja, and Shahbaz Nadeem, who took eight wickets combined.

As the series progresses, all eyes will be on Ranchi to see if England can adjust to the change in climate and pitch conditions to level the series, or if India will continue their home dominance and secure another series win.

India squad

Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.

England playing XI

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wk), Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson, Ollie Robinson.

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