England announces playing XI ahead of fourth Test against India at Ranchi

With the India team leading the series 2-1, its action now moves to Ranchi’s JSCA International Stadium Complex for the fourth Test of the five-match series between India and England. With India registering a thumping win against the visitors England in the third Test by 434 runs, the English team would be like a fiercest lion looking for a revenge. Hence, it will be a mouthwatering contest when both these giants clash on February 23.

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However, as England have done throughout the series, they have yet again announced their playing XI a day prior to the Test match. England has opted for two alterations to their playing XI for the fourth Test against India, commencing on February 23 in Ranchi. Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has been omitted, with off-spinner Shoaib Bashir returning to the lineup. Additionally, express pacer Mark Wood has been replaced by Ollie Robinson, marking his debut Test appearance in the series.

In addition to this, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have expressed support for wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow despite his struggle with form during the ongoing series. In addition to it, the inclusion of Ollie Robinson would be fascinating to see how it pans out for the England Lions. Moreover, leaving out Rehan Ahmed can be an interesting call can he has often provided wickets whenever he was given the chance to ball.

We have named our XI for the fourth Test in Ranchi! 🏏 👇

🇮🇳 #INDvENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #EnglandCricket

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) February 22, 2024

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England Playing XI for the 4th Test: Ben Stokes (captain), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Tom Hartley, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson, Shoaib Bashir.

I've never seen something like that before: Ben Stokes

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England captain Ben Stokes expressed his surprise, mentioning that he had never encountered such conditions before. With England trailing 1-2 in the five-match series against India, winning the Ranchi Test becomes crucial to push for a deciding fifth Test. Additionally, Stokes discussed the deceptive nature of the Ranchi pitch, initially noting a substantial grass covering. However, upon closer inspection, numerous cracks emerged, suggesting potential difficulties for both batsmen and bowlers. Moreover, the Ranchi pitch typically tends to dry out as the game progresses, favoring spinners as the Test unfolds.

"I've never seen something like that before. I have got no idea so I don't know what could happen. If you looked down one side of opposite ends it just looked different to what I am used to seeing, especially out in India. It looked green and grassy up in the changing rooms, but then you go out there it looked different: very dark and crumbly and quite a few cracks in it," Stokes told BBC Sport.