India vs England, 4th Test: Fantasy Preview

With one Test to go, the series is alive but all three contests have been one sided. After the third Test spanning only 140.2 overs, the shortest Test with a result since World War II, India and England will lock horns in the fourth Test of the series, at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi stadium, which was the venue for the third Test as well. India will aim at a 3-1 series win while England is tasked to level the series after falling down in the previous two Tests. 

Joe Root and Co. have the upper hand as far as results in recent Test matches between the two teams go, winning three out of the last five, but two of those were played in England. Virat Kohli’s men have a clear lead when you look at the matches in India. 

TEST HEAD-TO-HEAD 

Last 5 Matches: India – 2 Win | England – 3 Wins

Last 5 Matches (in India): India – 4 Wins | England – 1 Win

Ground details & team combination

Ahmedabad, in the third Test, was a spinner’s paradise. The tweakers accounted for 28 out of the 30 wickets in the match. According to Ben Foakes and the India vice-captain, Ajinkya Rahane, the pitch looks similar to what it was for the third Test. Hence, we can expect the spinners to continue with their domination. Spinners like Axar Patel, R Ashwin and Jack Leach should not be missed out on. 

It was a low scoring encounter in the third Test but a few batsmen rose above the others. Rohit Sharma looked comfortable tackling spin and is another must pick for your XI. Joe Root is the highest run-scorer of the series at present and though he managed only 36 runs in the previous Test, he laid a huge impact with the ball, picking 5 wickets for only 8 runs. He is expected to bowl a lot more in this contest and hence, should be another automatic pick in your side. The rest of the team should be built around these five players.

Suggested Team

It might be a surprise not to see Virat Kohli as a part of our suggested XI but given the credits of some other in-form players, it is unviable to pick the India skipper. The only way to fit him in - or Cheteshwar Pujara - alongside other big performers is if two players with 8 credits are named in the two playing XIs. 

While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your own team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. Based on algorithms we come up with six different teams that could fetch crucial points.

Captain Suggestion

Ravichandran Ashwin is the highest wicket-taker and the third highest run-scorer in the series. This is the turning out to be a breakthrough series for him as an all-rounder where he is picking wickets for fun, especially of left-handers, and also scoring handy runs, including a hundred in the second Test. It is hard to look past him as your captain knowing his performances have not really dependent on the nature of the pitch. 

Our Criclytics player projector predicts Ashwin could score 40-60 runs and pick 8-10 wickets in this match.

X-Factors

While batsmen from both sides have struggled, Rohit Sharma has appeared to be batting on a different pitch altogether. Currently, the second-highest run-scorer in the series, Rohit scored a masterful 161 in the second Test, following it up with scores of 66 and 25* in the third Test. Rohit has set an example on how to play spin on these tracks. With an average of 59.6 in this series, he is a cut above the rest. 

Our Criclytics player projector predicts Rohit could score 92-138 runs in this match.

Axar Patel has taken to Test cricket like a duck to water. He has had assistance from the tracks and the left-arm spinner has used it to his advantage to announce himself into the Test arena in style. The England batsmen cannot deduce whether Axar is going to turn the ball or bowl straight at them which has brought him wickets in heaps. In two Tests, he already has three five-wicket hauls and can add to that by running through the England batting order once again. 

Our Criclytics player projector predicts Axar could pick 9-10 wickets in this match.

Believe it or not, but Joe Root is expected to be a major contributor to England’s bowling attack in the fourth Test. Listed in the all-rounder’s category, thanks to his five-for in the third Test, Root will add value to your fantasy side with both bat and ball. With the bat alone, he is the highest run-scorer, not only in this series but in the calendar year, with three daddy hundreds under his belt. 

Our Criclytics player projector predicts Root could score 90-135 runs in this match.