MANCHESTER: It was drizzling even on Tuesday, a day ahead of the fourth Test. The conditions were not ideal for outdoor practice. The wicket was covered most of the time. Inside India dressing room more than the rain outside, getting the right combination would have been their priority.
India skipper Shubman Gill on Tuesday echoed the same sentiment when he said nine or 10 players select themselves automatically for any match depending on their injury status with the one remaining making it to the playing XI after taking into consideration the conditions. It sounded easy but at times fitting in that eleventh player could be very difficult.
On an overcast Tuesday afternoon here at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground, the India captain along with head coach Gautam Gambhir and assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak might be trying to solve that eleventh player puzzle when they gathered near the playing surface, which was uncovered at around 2:15PM local time to get it match ready.
With Gill making it clear that pacer Akash Deep has been ruled out of the match due to a groin injury, the visitors now have to find two replacements for the fourth Test as all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has already been sidelined and out of the series due to knee injury. India captain revealed injured Akash Deep will be replaced either by Anshul Kamboj or Prasidh Krishna but he refused to reveal anything on the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle. "Sir, let's leave some mystery, yeah, mystery for tomorrow," he said with a grin when tried to prod on the issue.
Intermittent rain and drizzle meant India could only have an indoor training session a day before the match but B Sai Sudharsan, the Tamil Nadu left-hand batter, one among the few who attended the nets on Tuesday, was seen doing shadow batting with the wicket still covered. Known to follow those rituals ahead of the match, there is a chance of him making a comeback to the playing XI after being dropped from the side following the first match in Leeds.
The India team under coach Gambhir has always been more inclined towards adding to their batting depths and preferred to go with all-rounders instead of selecting an outright bowler. With five specialist bowlers - three pacers in the form of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Kamboj/Prasidh and two spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar (both are more than handy batters too) at their disposal, inclusion of Sai Sudharsan will be only be the extension of their recent philosophy.
If brought back into the playing XI, he can come at No 3, the position he batted at Leeds with Karun Nair, who so far has not made any significant contribution despite getting starts, shifting to No 6 spot. The option, which in turn can reinforce their batting strength, looks more feasible for the visitors especially with the overcast conditions and damp surface due to overcast conditions suited more for bowlers.
With Gill defending Nair, it only lends more weight to the theory. "We think Karun is batting well. It's difficult when a player is making a comeback in a series like this. But I don't think there has been any issue with his batting. Sometimes, it's also about getting that click. Once you are able to make your 50, then you are able to get back into your zone and get some big runs. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened for him so far. But we are hopeful that he will be able to turn around," Gill said when asked about Nair's form.
India have another option in Shardul Thakur, who can also bat down the order. He too has featured in the first match like Sai Sudharsan. More than anything, Thakur can be a like-to-like replacement for all-rounder Reddy.
Whatever the combination India go with, it is going to be different from the past three matches and Gill said it's not easy to frequently tinker with the team composition especially due to injury issues. "It is not ideal when you have to after every match you kind of have to go back and have a different combination. But it was something that I had prepared before the series that there would be a scenario where I would have to have a different combination for every match. So, I kind of planned it before the series about how we are going to go about it," said the captain.
Only time will tell which combination India prefer going into the match but one thing is amply clear that Manchester weather will play a big role in their decision.
