India vs England 4th Test 2025: Old Trafford Showdown Preview

With England 2-1 ahead, the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy reaches its penultimate clash at Old Trafford, Manchester, on 23 July 2025. Rain threats, selection dilemmas and record-chasing stars make this Test a dream for fans, fantasy gamers and SEO trackers alike.

Venue, Weather & Pitch Snapshot

Old Trafford has hosted 86 Tests, with bat-first sides winning 32 and the average first-innings score sitting at 331. Late-July forecasts show persistent cloud and scattered showers—65% chance on Day 1 and 84% on Day 2 before easing to 7–10% on Days 3-4, rising again to 40% on Day 5. Moisture should aid early seam, but the strip generally slows and turns as cracks open. Expect swing up front, spin late, and tactical declarations to beat the drizzle.

Series Situation at a Glance

• Headingley: England won by 5 wkts.
• Edgbaston: India responded with a record 336-run victory.
• Lord’s: England edged a 22-run thriller to lead 2-1.
  World Test Championship points: England 22, India 12.

Confirmed & Probable XIs

England (confirmed)	India (probable)	Key Notes
Zak Crawley	Yashasvi Jaiswal	Dawson replaces injured Bashir; depth till No. 8.
Ben Duckett	KL Rahul	Akash Deep out; seam slot between Prasidh & debutant Kamboj.
Ollie Pope	Sai Sudharsan	Nitish Reddy injured; Sudharsan likely at No. 3.
Joe Root	Shubman Gill (c)	Root 120 runs short of becoming No.2 all-time scorer.
Harry Brook	Rishabh Pant (wk)	Pant averaging 70.83 this series.
Ben Stokes (c)	Karun Nair	Stokes’ bowling workload under scrutiny[attachment 1].
Jamie Smith (wk)	Ravindra Jadeja	Smith striking 103.75 this series.
Liam Dawson	Washington Sundar/Shardul Thakur	Choice balances spin vs seam depth.
Chris Woakes	Jasprit Bumrah	Bumrah series-leading 13 wkts at 32.
Brydon Carse	Mohammed Siraj	Siraj 12 wkts at 21, economy 2.91.
Jofra Archer	Prasidh Krishna/Anshul Kamboj	Archer returned after 4-yr Test hiatus[attachment 1].

Form Guide & Focus Players

Batting Pillars

Player	Runs	Avg	SR	USP
Shubman Gill	607	101.17	71.83	3 tons; chasing Bradman-level records.
Rishabh Pant	425	70.83	78.41	Counter-attacks; 15 sixes.
Joe Root	253	50.60	50.70	Needs 120 runs to reach No.2 all-time.
Jamie Smith	415	103.75	85.92	Fastest ENG keeper to 1,000 runs.

Bowling Threats

Bowler	Wkts	Avg	Eco	Strength
Jasprit Bumrah	13	32.00	2.91	Dead-straight wobble seam.
Mohammed Siraj	12	21.00	2.91	Late swing; 6-for at Edgbaston.
Chris Woakes	11	29.45	3.09	At home, handy lower-order runs.
Liam Dawson	returns	n/a	n/a	Left-arm orthodox + 18 FC centuries.

All-round Dynamos

• Ravindra Jadeja: 327 runs @ 109 + 5 wkts; historic 2,000 runs/100 wkts in WTC.
• Ben Stokes: 163 runs + stamina spells of 9-10 overs at Lord’s[attachment 1].

Records on the Horizon

1. Root needs 120 runs to pass Ponting, Kallis and Dravid for second on the career list.
2. Gill requires 203 runs to break Bradman’s 810-run mark for most by a captain in a series.
3. Bumrah is two strikes away from overtaking Kapil Dev for most away five-fors by an Indian seamer.

Strategic Talking Points

England

• Dawson’s inclusion enhances batting depth and provides a holding spinner if conditions slow.
• Archer’s pace plus Carse’s heavy length can exploit early moisture; Woakes swings it when clouds linger.
• Root versus Bumrah: marquee duel; Root averages 65.20 at Manchester.

India

• Selection matrix: choose Sundar (bat+off-spin) or Thakur (seam-swing depth).
• Third seamer debate: Prasidh’s extra bounce vs Kamboj’s red-ball rhythm (10-wkt Ranji haul).
• Jadeja-Sundar tandem can strangle late-innings scoring if pitch turns.

Dream11 Fantasy Guide

Recommended Grand-League XI

Slot	Player	Reason
Captain	Shubman Gill	Leading run-getter; form + record hunt.
Vice-Captain	Joe Root	Manchester maestro; consistency.
Wicketkeeper	Jamie Smith	Dual points for high SR & catches.
Batters	Rishabh Pant, Harry Brook, KL Rahul	Aggression, middle-order insurance.
All-rounders	Ravindra Jadeja, Ben Stokes	Guaranteed overs + run potential.
Bowlers	Jasprit Bumrah, Chris Woakes, Mohammed Siraj	Swing + strike leaders.
12th Man	Liam Dawson	Budget pick; value if spin bites.

Conditions Tip: Re-shuffle during toss—if India bowl first under clouds, elevate Bumrah to VC; if deck looks dry, slot Dawson in XI replacing Brook.

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Best Playing XI Predictions

England

1 Crawley, 2 Duckett, 3 Pope, 4 Root, 5 Brook, 6 Stokes(c), 7 Smith(wk), 8 Dawson, 9 Woakes, 10 Carse, 11 Archer.

India

1 Jaiswal, 2 Rahul, 3 Sudharsan, 4 Gill(c), 5 Pant(wk), 6 Nair, 7 Jadeja, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Bumrah, 10 Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna.

(If forecast worsens, swap Sundar for Thakur to bolster seam; if track looks spinner-friendly, Kamboj could debut with Sundar retained.)

Match Prediction

Weather could trim overs but seamers should still decide early momentum. England’s settled XI and home familiarity give them a 55% edge; yet if Gill or Pant produce another blockbuster alongside Bumrah’s new-ball burst, India can push for a historic first win in Manchester.

Disclaimer

This article, including the Ghibli-style illustration, has been generated via AI and may have errors. Images are AI-created for illustrative purposes only.