ENG vs IND 2025: Aakash Chopra names India XI for fourth Test, includes both Pant and Jurel
"He scored runs even after getting injured. If Rishabh Pant can't keep, play him as a batter," said Chopra.
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has picked his Indian XI for the fourth Test against England in Manchester. He chose both Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel in his XI, to bat at No.5 and No. 6, respectively.
India are trailing the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 1-2 and need to win the match at Old Trafford to keep their hopes alive in winning a series in England since 2007. Chopra stated that Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul should open for India for the next Test.
"There won't be any question about the two openers. The third Test match was quite middling for Yashasvi Jaiswal, but that will happen. Runs aren't scored in every match. KL Rahul scored centuries in the first and third matches. So there shouldn't be any changes there," Chopra said in his YouTube Channel.
Pant starts wicketkeeping practice amid injury concerns
Chopra insisted on keeping Karun Nair at No. 3, providing him another opportunity. He picked Indian captain Shubman Gill to slot in at No. 4. The former Indian opener urged the Indian team management to include Pant at No. 5, even though he did not keep wicket in the previous game after injuring his hand.
"There will be a question at No. 3 as to whether Karun Nair should be given one more chance. Karun Nair hasn't looked completely out of sorts. However, he hasn't scored enough runs for you to say his selection is certain. I am still tempted to play him another match at No. 3 because he might not get a chance again," Chopra said.
"Shubman Gill at No. 4. Ravi Shastri said that Rishabh Pant shouldn't play if he is not keeping. I am thinking only four players have scored runs - KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant. He scored runs even after getting injured. If Rishabh Pant can't keep, play him as a batter," he added.
Chopra picked Jurel to slot in at No. 6 pointing out that he scored runs in the two-match series between India A and England Lions. He also highlighted Jurel can keep wicket if Pant is not fit enough to do that.
"I am thinking Dhruv Jurel at No. 6 because, apart from him, you only have top-order options. You started with Karun at No. 6 and Sai Sudharsan at No. 3, but that's unlikely to happen. Play Dhruv Jurel at No. 6 because he scored runs for India A against the England Lions," Chopra mentioned.
The cricketer-turned-commentator admitted that veteran Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar will hold their place in the XI. As the pitch at Old Trafford is more suitable for pacers, India is unlikely to choose Kuldeep Yadav as an extra spinner.
Chopra believes that Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are certain to feature in the playing XI. However, the choice for the third pacer remains a dilemma for the visitors, with Anshul Kamboj and Prasidh Krishna being the frontrunners. If Akash Deep is ruled out due to the groin niggle he sustained at Lord’s, India might be forced to introduce a new face into the lineup.
"Ravindra Jadeja will play for sure. I feel Washington Sundar will also play for sure because he is coming after picking up four wickets. I feel you cannot play an extra spinner here. It is not Oval or Edgbaston. You will have to play fast bowlers here. So I am thinking three fast bowlers," Chopra said.
"Bumrah and Siraj will be seen playing for sure. The third pacer could be a toss-up between Anshul Kamboj and Prasidh Krishna if Akash Deep is unavailable. Ideally, you should go back to Prasidh Krishna, but he has leaked a lot of runs. So you might see Anshul Kamboj debuting here," he concluded.
Aakash Chopra’s XI for India in fourth Test:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Anshul Kamboj/Akash Deep
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