Virat Kohli's Team India takes on Joe Root's England in the fourth Test in Southampton from Thursday. Here are seven things to look forward to on the opening day at the Rose Bowl.
With momentum firmly on the visitors' side, the Indian cricket team will take on England in the fourth Test from Thursday. Virat Kohli's men won emphatically in the third Test at Trent Bridge, pulling one back in the five-match series to make it 2-1.
However, as the Indian captain admitted on Wednesday, the English cannot be taken lightly in their own den. If India were to indeed square-up the series at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, we're going to be left with a blockbuster finale in the fifth Test. For that to happen, though, the visitors will need a strong start at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
Here are seven things to look forward to on Day 1 of the fourth Test at the Rose Bowl in Southampton:
1. Weather
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The weather always has a say in Test cricket in England. The clouds and rain at Lord's ensured India were blown away, and there hasn't been enough heat in the first three games for the visitors' spinners to exploit. The weather in Southampton is scheduled to be cloudy over the course of the match. This will surely bring a smile on Joe Root's face.
(Image: Twitter @BCCI)
2. Pitch
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The wicket at the Rose Bowl looked a green top on Wednesday and wasn't expected to change overnight. This seems to be a clear strategy from the hosts, wary of the momentum Kohli and Co gathered at Trent Bridge. The Indian captain, though, is unperturbed by the thick layer of grass on the pitch, saying he's ready to field an all-pace attack if need be. Kohli, however, reckons the 22 yards will have something for the spinners as the match goes on.
(Image: Twitter @TheAgeasBowl)
3. Toss
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It isn't spoken about enough, but the Toss plays a critical role in Test cricket, especially when the weather is as unpredictable as it is in England. Kohli is yet to win a single Toss in the series and will be hoping for a change in fortune on Thursday. There's no doubt that the result could've been a lot different had India won the Toss at Lord's and put England into bat in those gloomy conditions. However, it'll also be interesting to see if the right decision is taken after either captain wins the Toss. Root definitely made a mistake by putting India in to bat at Trent Bridge, leading to the visitors posting a huge total. Such errors in judgement can hardly be afforded at such a crucial juncture in the series.
(Image: Twitter @HomeOfCricket)
4. Indian playing XI
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There's been plenty of chatter around Prithvi Shaw's impending debut, but Kohli gave strong indications on Wednesday that he might field an unchanged XI for the first time in his tenure as captain. "Everyone is fit to start tomorrow. Seeing the way things are right now we don't feel we need to change anything," he said. Even so, the Indian team is known to take a hard look at the pitch and weather conditions before deciding on the best combination. For this match, too, unlike England, the visitors have not declared their playing XI yet and have kept their cards close to the chest. Will Prithvi get the nod? Will the bowling unit witness a tweak? We'll get to know only after the coin is flipped on Thursday.
(Image: PTI)
5. Ashwin's fitness
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"Ashwin has recovered nicely. He had a good practice session yesterday. He is good to go," Kohli told reporters on the eve of the fourth Test. The Indian captain also reckoned that spinners could come into play during the latter half of the match. If that were to be the case, India will surely need the services of their best spinner. Ashwin seemed in a lot of pain with his hip injury in Nottingham but has had a week's time to fix it. Will he be able to let it rip on the field? Or will India consider playing a half-fit Ashwin?
(Image: AFP)
6. Indian batting
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They might've silenced critics with an improved performance in the third Test, but the Indian batsmen owe the team a lot more going forward. India's pacers have toiled hard through the series to bowl out England consistently, it's the frail batting that has let the team down. KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane need to build on their good work from the third Test. A collapse on the opening day in Southampton will reaffirm the belief that Trent Bridge was an aberration.
(Image: Reuters)
7. Catching
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If both teams took every catch that came their way in the first three Tests, the dynamics of the series could well have been a lot different at this point. Kohli, for instance, would've been left with hardly any runs in his kitty. KL Rahul's soft hands ensured India did better in the field than England in the third Test. The hosts made matters a lot worse for themselves by dropping catch after catch in the slip cordon. Catches win matches. Dropped catches surely make you lose matches. Neither team would want that anymore.
(Image: Reuters)
