England vs India 2018, Fourth Test: India's Predicted Playing XI

Indian cricket team were humiliated by hosts England in the first two Tests of the five-match series held. But the visitors countered the hosts from the first day of the third Test after being put in to bat first by England skipper Joe Root. The match was completed on the fifth day, with India winning the match by emphatic 203 runs.

In the reciprocal version of the previous Test, when none of the Indian batsmen managed to score a half-century, the Indian batsmen came out thrashing at the English bowlers with 60-run opening stand between Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul, which was later carried forward with impressive half-centuries by Kohli and Pujara as India finished at 329 in first innings.

After the batsmen, the onus was now on bowlers to prove their fate and they dominated from start to finish as English team bundled out for paltry 161 runs thanks to incredible five-fer by Hardik Pandya. With the lead of 168, Indian batsmen once again started their innings with same enthusiasm as in first innings courtesy hundred by skipper Kohli as they declared their innings at 352/7. Leaving England with a record 521to chase down in the final innings.

While England survived the tricky nine overs without losing any wickets at 23/0 on ay three, But they lost the wicket of Keaton Jennings (13) in the very first over of fourth day four bowled by Ishant Sharma. Then Alastair Cook (17) followed him in Sharma's next over. After that Buttler and Stokes build up a crucial 169-run partnership to bring some respite for England.

At that moment match seems getting out of India's way. But comeback man Bumrah removed Buttler (106) and Bairstow on consecutive deliveries to bring India back in the game and went further to bring up his five-fer with the wicket of Stuart Broad before Adil Rashid took England chase to the final day. On the fifth day, it took exactly 10 minutes to get the final wicket of the game, with Anderson being final victim.

After the conclusion of the third Test, Selectors revealed India's 18 men for the fourth and fifth Test. Murali Vijay and Kuldeep Yadav were dropped from the squad after their disappointing campaign and replaced by Prithvi Shaw and Hanuma Vihari respectively. Despite being part of Indian squad both are unlikely to feature in the fourth test.

Squad for fourth and fifth Tests: Virat Kohli (C), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Karun Nair, Dinesh Karthik (wk) and Hanuma Vihari.

With the fourth Test coming up at The Rose Bowl, Southampton in a few days, India would like to take the momentum in the next game. Though they will be happy with their performance in the third one, they know that one can't take the English team lightly especially in their home conditions.

So, let's take a look at India's predicted playing XI for the fourth Test.

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#1 KL RAHUL

KL Rahul

The Karnataka wicketkeeper-batsman has not been able to find his feet in the series so far. He is getting the starts but failed to convert them into big ones so far. In the third Test, the opener scored 23 and 36 runs in respective innings and will be eager to convert them into big ones in the next match.

Rahul also shined in slips as he took seven catches in the match and not a single drop. Rahul has been the lone bright star for India in the slips. Among everyone in the slips, he is the only one who looks to make a permanent place for himself in the slips cordon.

After his good outings in both innings and brilliant slip fielding, he is expected to keep his place in the next Test as well.

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#2 Shikhar Dhawan

The enigmatic left-hander was dismissed in disappointing fashion in both innings of the second Test. However, he found his form back in the third Test with respective scores of 35 and 44 in first and second innings.

He is expected to continue his form in the next game and look to attack the bowlers from the beginning.

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#3 Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara

Pujara missed out on the playing XI for the first Test, but was brought back for the 2nd Test where he failed to make any impact. But due to skipper's trust in him, he was given chance in the third Test, which he utilized perfectly with a steady knock of 72 runs off 209 balls.

He played an extremely patient knock in the second innings and went onto forge a 113-run partnership

#4 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

The Indian skipper has been in the form of his life and this time got full support from the team as well. He has been the best batsman of the side in the series so far. The charismatic batsman went on to scored his 23rd century as India went on to dominate England in the third Test.

He will look to continue his ominous best and get a couple of big knocks under his belt in the fourth Test as well.

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#5 Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane once again proved why he is India's best performer in overseas conditions. The middle-order batsman's failures in previous Tests marked questions on his place in the side. But the Indian vice-captain answered his critics with a splendid knock of 81 runs from 131 balls on the opening day.

His 159 run stand with Virat Kohli (97) in first innings helped India lay a commendable rescue effort, which later on proved crucial. During the partnership, both Kohli and Rahane showed great verve to mobilize the scoreboard

#6 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant made his Test debut after Dinesh Karthik managed just 20 runs in two Tests, and the wicketkeeper-batsman took full advantage of it. Pant played few outstanding shots in his first ever outing for India. He scored 24 runs in the first innings but failed to capitulate in second.

Meanwhile, Pant became the first Indian wicketkeeper to effect eight dismissals on Test debut.

The keeper is expected to get another chance and will hope to improve his batting in the fourth Test with some quick runs in the middle-order.

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#7 Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya

A lot of people have questioned Hardik Pandya's place in the side for the Tests, however, he has proven them wrong with a noteworthy performance in the third test.

The all-rounder picked up his first ever five-fer in the first innings, followed by blistering run a ball 52 in second innings. He proved a real headache for the English batsmen and is expected to continue his momentum in the upcoming Test as well.

#8 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin

After picking up seven wickets in the first Test, Ashwin failed to capitalize on it in second. As a result, he bowled just a single over in first innings and twenty-two in second with just one wicket. He has been quite economical and wasn't an easy target for the English side and he would like to prove his worth in the next Test where he might be the key.

Despite this, he has been a crucial bowler for India and sometimes proves himself worthy with the bat as well. So, we expect him to feature in next Test.

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#9 Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma has been in terrific form and has been the go-to man in the Indian bowling lineup. Sharma took 2/36 and 2/43 in respective innings with Alastair Cook being his favourite victim. It was the eleventh time that Sharma got the wicket of England opener.

The bowler has been able to pick wickets at crucial stages and is expected to take it into next Test

#10 Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami

Shami is one of India's best bowlers in the Test arena. Though he picked up just two wickets in the previous Test, he is likely to keep his place on the basis of his experience and Bhuvaneshvar Kumar injury.

He has been clinical so far and will look to clinch some early breakthroughs in the fourth Test and continue to rattle the opposition with his pace and swing.

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#11 Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah proved to be a lucky charm for India. The Indian pacer proved his worth in his comeback match. Bumrah took seven wickets in the game comprising a five-fer in second innings. He was a match-turner for the team in the third Test, when India seemed to loose their way, he took the crucial wicket of Buttler to bring India back in the game.

He has been a welcome addition to the side and could prove to be the X-factor with the ball in next game as well. The only thing he needs to concentrate on is no balls.