Fantasy suggestions for the fourth Test in Ahmedabad
India vs England, 4th Test, Ahmedabad
Pro Tip: Spin to win has been India’s motto in this series. Fill your team with spinners.
Our XI: Rishabh Pant, Zak Crawley, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Chesteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jack Leach, Dom Bess
Substitutes: Washington Sundar, Ajinkya Rahane, James Anderson, Ben Stokes
Player availability: Jasprit Bumrah will not be available for this match due to personal reasons and is likely to be replaced by one of Umesh Yadav or Mohammed Siraj
We might not always be able to tip you off about late injury (or other relevant) updates, so please finalise your team after the toss.
Captain: Axar Patel
Axar Patel bamboozled the English players with his spin in the third Test. He has picked up 18 wickets in just two at an astounding average of 9.44. With no change in venue for this clash, expect him to replicate his Man-of-the-Match performance from the last game.
Vice-captain: R Ashwin
The No. 3-ranked Test bowler, Ashwin has bowled splendidly in this series, taking the most number of wickets – 24 in six innings. He is also the third leading run-scorer in this series after his phenomenal century in Chepauk. The Indian player with the most Man-of-the-Series awards in Tests – seven in 30 series so far – is expected to get another one.
Hot Picks
Rohit Sharma: He is India’s leading run-scorer in this series with 296 runs in three games. When players from both sides struggled to tackle spin in the last two games, Rohit looked in good touch throughout. Since opening the batting in Test cricket, he is India’s leading run scorer with 981 runs in ten games.
Joe Root: England captain Joe Root is one English batter you cannot drop from your XI. He is the leading run-scorer in this series with 333 runs in three games. Since the start of 2019, he is the leading run scorer in Tests with 2074 runs in 25 games. He got the record for fewest runs conceded by a spinner for a five wicket haul in Test cricket in the last game where he picked up five wickets for eight runs. With the pitch expected to spin again, expect him to contribute with the ball as well.
Jack Leach: Jack Leach has bowled more than double among all English bowlers in this series and has picked up the most wickets for his side (16). Although his career average of 46.60 in the first innings is low, his second innings average of 20.95 makes up for it.
Differential Picks
Shubman Gill: Gill had a scintillating start to his Test career. His healthy Test average of 58.50 against spin suggests he can play spinners very well. With his opening partner Rohit in prime form, it will only help Gill to play his natural game.
Zak Crawley: The England opener missed the first couple of Tests due to injury. He made a comeback in the last game and was extremely impressive with the bat. His 84-ball 53 was one of the most eye-catching innings in this series, if not the most. He has however struggled against spin in Tests, which makes him a risky as well as an x-factor pick.
Alternate Scenarios
- If Dom Bess doesn’t play, James Anderson can replace him
- Joe Root and Rohit Sharma are the alternate choices for captaincy
Source: ESPN Crickinfo