England Cricket Team has announced their playing XI for the fourth Test against Team India at JSCA International Complex in Ranchi, starting on Friday, February 23.
England suffered a heavy defeat against India in the third Test in Rajkot as the visitors lost the match by 434 runs after being bundled out for 122 while chasing a hefty target of 557.
Following the defeat in the Rajkot Test, England decided to make a couple changes to their playing XI ahead of the crucial Test in Ranchi. The visitors opted to drop Mark Wood and Rehan Ahmed from the team and brought Ollie Robinson and Shoaib Bashir into the playing XI.
Ben Stokes-led side will continue with the same bowling combination from the Rajkot Test in Ranchi, comprising of two pacers and two spinners.
Shoaib Bashir played the second Test in Vizag but was dropped by England for Mark Wood to change the bowling combination of two pacers and two spinners. While Ollie Robinson will play his first match of the ongoing Test series.
Joe Root has retained his place in the playing XI despite forgettable outing in the ongoing Test series thus far. Veteran pacer James Anderson, who is just four wickets away from completing 700 wickets, will lead the fast bowling attack alongside Ollie Robinson.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Ben Stokes is expected to bowl in the Ranchi Test. England's skipper bowled the last spell during the the Ashes Series against Australia in June 2023. Since then, he didn't bowl a single due to discomfort on his knee. Stokes is likely to bowl the first spell after knee operation against India in Ranchi Test.
ENG XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson, Shoaib Bashir
Ben Stokes On Ranchi pitch
England skipper Ben Stokes admitted that he has no idea what to expect from Ranchi pitch ahead of the fourth Test against India. The pitch for the Hyderabad Test had a considerable. However, the surfaces for the next two Tests in Vizag and Rajkot provided a balance to spinners and pacers.
Speaking to BBC ahead of fourth Test, Ben Stokes was shocked to see the condition of the pitch. He revealed that pitch looked green from the dressing room.
"I've never seen something like that before. I have got no idea so I don't know what could happen. If you looked down one side of opposite ends it just looked different to what I am used to seeing, especially out in India." England skipper said.
"It looked green and grassy up in the changing rooms, but then you go out there it looked different: very dark and crumbly and quite a few cracks in it." Stokes added.
England are currently trailing 1-2 against India in the five-match series. The visitors won the Test series opener in Hyderabad but faced two consecutive defeats in Vizag and Rajkot.
