ENG vs IND 4th Test: Manchester pitch report, highest score, key toss stats

Bowling first may tempt captains under overcast skies, but no team has ever won a Test at Old Trafford after opting to bowl-making it a risky toss decision.

With the series standing at 2-1 in England’s favour, the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, is more than a match—it’s a mission. Shubman Gill’s side arrived with one goal: level the series and take it to a decider. But history looms large. India haven’t played here in nearly a decade now, and the ghosts of Old Trafford don’t wear blue. And Indian cricket team has to bat well as Gill lost fourth toss in a row.   Check India vs England 4th Test Day 1 live score and match updates here

 

In the nine attempts, Indian cricket team failed to emerge victorious in any of them at the Old Trafford in Manchester

 

England, unfazed, roll in with the same formula that has served them well so far, confident of keeping their edge intact on a surface known to reward pace and discipline.

 

India vs England 4th Test - Manchester Pitch report: Speed, Bounce, and a Bit of Rain

Here's what Deep Dasgupta said in his pitch report  In his pitch assessment, Deep Dasgupta described the surface as dry and slightly uneven, pointing out visible ridges and patchy grass along with early signs of cracking. His observations suggest a challenging track for batters. However, Jonathan Trott offered a more tempered view, noting that cracks at Old Trafford typically don’t worsen significantly as the game progresses.  What to expect at the Old Trafford?  Old Trafford isn’t known for mercy. It’s among England’s quickest tracks. Batters who can handle pace and bounce might flourish, but there’s no guarantee. For bowlers, the bounce and carry offer enough incentive to put in the hard yards, even with a soft Dukes ball.

 

But there’s a twist. The skies over Manchester aren't promising. Showers are expected across the first two days, and light rain lingers in the forecast for the entire match. Conditions could be juicy for seamers, yet history whispers a warning—no team has ever won a Test at Old Trafford after choosing to bowl first.

 

In the pre-match press conference, India captain Shubman Gill said that the Manchester wicket is expected to have pace and bounce.  Pant recovers before Manchester Test   

India captain Shubman Gill also confirmed Rishabh Pant's participation as wicketkeeper in the crucial fourth Test against England starting here from Wednesday but pacer Akash Deep will miss out.

 

The development surrounding Pant is a boost for India after key players like all-rounder Nitish Reddy, Arshdeep Singh and Akash have suffered injuries of varying intensity.

 

Reddy has now been ruled out of the remainder of the series, while Akash, who appeared to have been struggling with his hip during the Lord's Test, will now sit out of the Old Trafford Test.

 

Pant, who had suffered a finger injury at the Lord's, underwent a training session here that lasted over two hours on Monday.

 

"Rishabh Pant will keep wickets in the fourth Test against England in Manchester," Gill said on the eve of the match.

 

Pant played as the wicketkeeper only for 35 overs in the third Test due to the injury with Dhruv Jurel doing the duty for the rest of the match.

 

In fact, Jurel had an underwhelming time behind the stumps during England's second innings, conceding 25 byes and the home side won the third Test by 22 runs.

 

What’s Next for Rishabh Pant?

 

If this series were a stage, Rishabh Pant would be its most tragic hero. At Headingley, he was electric but fell short. At Lord’s, a single misstep in the first innings swung the game away from India. He returned with fire in the second innings—despite a painful left-hand injury—but the pain was written all over his face. Holding the bat was a struggle, and this time, the usual theatrics turned grim.

 

Now, with eight days of rest behind him, the question everyone’s asking: what version of Pant will show up at Old Trafford?

 

India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj. 

England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer

 

Toss Temptations and the Old Trafford Paradox

 

With overcast skies and a rain-hit outfield, bowling first might look tempting. But captains beware: history hasn’t been kind to teams that have chosen to bowl first at this venue. It’s a strategic gamble, one that could define the match from the toss itself.

 

Did You Know?

 

• Sachin Tendulkar scored his maiden Test century at Old Trafford—and it remains the last by an Indian at the venue.
• India have played here only once in the last 30 years.
• Joe Root is just 120 runs away from surpassing Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-scorer in Test history.
• Liam Dawson, who might feature in this Test, debuted in 2016 in Chennai—the same match where Karun Nair made history with an unbeaten 303.

  England vs India 4th Test: Key stats to look forward 

India vs England head-to-head in Manchester
Team 1	Team 2	Winner	Margin	Ground	Match Date
England	India	England	inns & 54 runs	Manchester	Aug 7-9, 2014
England	India	drawn	-	Manchester	Aug 9-14, 1990
England	India	drawn	-	Manchester	Jun 24-28, 1982
England	India	England	113 runs	Manchester	Jun 6-11, 1974
England	India	drawn	-	Manchester	Aug 5-10, 1971
England	India	England	171 runs	Manchester	Jul 23-28, 1959
England	India	England	inns & 207 runs	Manchester	Jul 17-19, 1952
England	India	drawn	-	Manchester	Jul 20-23, 1946
England	India	drawn	-	Manchester	Jul 25-28, 1936

 

Highest totals in Tests at ENG: Old Trafford, Manchester
Team	Score	Overs	RR	Inns	Opposition	Ground	Result
Australia	656/8d	255.5	2.56	1	v England	Manchester	draw
England	627/9d	201	3.11	1	v Australia	Manchester	draw
England	611	293.1	2.08	2	v Australia	Manchester	draw
England	592	107.4	5.49	2	v Australia	Manchester	draw
England	589/8d	152.2	3.86	1	v Pakistan	Manchester	won
England	571/8d	142	4.02	2	v India	Manchester	draw
South Africa	552/5d	199.5	2.76	1	v England	Manchester	draw
Australia	527/7d	146	3.6	1	v England	Manchester	draw
South Africa	521/8d	195	2.67	2	v England	Manchester	won
England	519	160.5	3.22	1	v India	Manchester	draw
England	512	145.2	3.52	1	v Sri Lanka	Manchester	won
Pakistan	505/9d	126	4	1	v England	Manchester	draw
West Indies	501/6d	196	2.55	1	v England	Manchester	won
West Indies	500	160.3	3.11	1	v England	Manchester	won
Australia	497/8d	126	3.94	1	v England	Manchester	won
New Zealand	496/9d	160	3.1	2	v England	Manchester	draw