The pitch at Old Trafford in Manchester is an unknown quantity for the Indian cricket team, who are set to play the fourth Test from July 23. The Men in Blue are trailing in the series and needs a win to stay alive in the series. A loss will see them lose the series.
On the back of the pitch being an unknown component, the Indian team have been marred by injury concerns to their key players. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Arshdeep Singh are ruled out from the final two Tests.
The bowling attack is looking thinner with workload concerns on Akash Deep, who will also miss the fourth Test. Jasprit Bumrah’s availability has been confirmed by Mohammed Siraj. However, his workload still remains a concern for the Indian team.
Initial Pictures Of The Old Trafford Pitch
Meanwhile, the first look of the Old Trafford pitch in Manchester is out. Viral images of the 22 yards are making the rounds on social media. At first glance, the pitch is all green and damp. There has been a lot of rain in Manchester in the last week and the weather is expected to play spoilsport in the Test match.
There are concerns of rain on almost all days of the Test match barring day 3. However, the underlying subplot of the Test match will be England’s return after winning the dramatic Lord’s Test and India’s effort to make a comeback. Talking about the forecast of the five days, there are chances of intermittent showers with cloudy skies on day 1. The chances of rain are as high as 60 percent.
On day 2, the rain threat drops to 55 percent but still enough to force a delayed start. Conditions will remain cloudy and gloomy. Day 3 is the best of the lot. Uninterupted play is expected and the rain threat drops considerably to 25 percent. On day 4, there is sunshine expected in the first half of the Test match. Chances of rain are almost 58 percent in the final session of play. The final day is also expected to be marred by rain as high as 58 percent again. The sun is expected to play hide and seek.
Also Read: IND vs ENG 2025: Anshul Kamboj To Make His Test Debut In Manchester: Reports
India Winless In Manchester
India’s winless streak in Manchester adds to the build-up and the drama surrounding the pitch and the weather. In case the match ends in a draw, India will need to win the series decider at The Oval to level the series.
