Indian captain Shubman Gill addressed several uncertainties ahead of India’s fourth Test against England in Manchester, set to begin on Wednesday. The team has suffered significant injury setbacks, with all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out of the entire Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, and pacer Arshdeep Singh sidelined for the upcoming match.
Gill also confirmed that Akash Deep, who impressed with a 10-wicket haul in India’s victory at Birmingham, will miss the fourth Test as well. India currently trail 1-2 in the five-match series after three games.
“Akash Deep is unavailable, so is Arshdeep, but we have good players in the team to pick twenty wickets. It is not ideal to have different bowlers, but I was prepared,” Gill said on Tuesday. “He (Anshul Kamboj) is very close to making his debut. We will see between Prasidh and Anshul tomorrow.
“We have seen his (Kamboj’s) skill set. We have the belief that he can win matches for us. It is never easy when there are injuries. Nitish (Reddy) is missing and Akash is also unavailable for this match. (But) we have good enough players to take 20 wickets.”
If Kamboj features in the match against England, it will mark the 24-year-old pacer’s debut in international cricket. So far, he has played 24 domestic matches, picking up 79 wickets. He also has a first-class half-century to his name.
Team Management Backs Karun Nair To Regain Form Despite Struggles In First Three Tests
Shubman Gill also stated that the team management remains confident in Karun Nair’s ability to bounce back. After three Tests at Headingley, Edgbaston, and Lord’s, Nair has managed just 131 runs, averaging slightly under 22.
“We think he is batting well. First match he didn’t play at his number. No issues with his batting. Once you are able to get to 50 and get in the zone. We are hopeful that he can turn it around: Gill said on Nair, who so far produced scores of 0, 20, 31, 26, 40 and 14 in the first three Tests,” Gill added.
He also confirmed that Rishabh Pant will take on wicketkeeping duties in the fourth Test in Manchester. “Rishabh Pant will keep wickets in the fourth Test against England in Manchester,” he said.
In the third Test, Pant kept wickets for just 35 overs due to an injury, with Dhruv Jurel stepping in for the remainder of the match. However, Jurel had a tough outing behind the stumps in England’s second innings, conceding 25 byes. The hosts went on to win that Test by 22 runs.
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