IND vs ENG 2021: Zaheer Khan suggests 2 changes in India's bowling line-up for 4th Test

Zaheer Khan has suggested two changes to India's bowling attack for the fourth Test against England which starts on Thursday.

The former pacer said ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin should be a certainty for the match, irrespective of Ravindra Jadeja's availability. Zaheer Khan believes the pitch at The Oval will suit Ashwin, who could have a "huge impact" on the match, similar to the World Test Championship (WTC) final where the pacers failed.

Zaheer Khan told Cricbuzz on Wednesday:

"The opportunity is there for the taking and I believe this change (bringing in Ravichandran Ashwin) should be made. You should first see how fit Ravindra Jadeja is... but even if he's playing, India should go for this change because if you look at the history of The Oval, spin definitely dominates in the second innings."

Zaheer Khan added:

"In the WTC final, the way Team India approached the game - going with Jadeja and Ashwin both because they are among the best five bowlers - they should go back to that because spin will have a huge impact at this ground."

Jadeja, India's lone spinner in the first three Tests, hasn't got much help off the pitch in England, except at Headingley where he picked up his only wicket in the series so far. However, The Oval has been the most successful ground for spinners in England lately, with as many as 59 wickets falling to tweakers in just five games of the 2021 County Championship.

Joe Root (in Press) said "The record speaks itself for Ravi Ashwin - we have seen him taking wickets and scoring runs against us - we know what he is capable of doing in any conditions".

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 31, 2021

Zaheer Khan picked Ishant Sharma as the fast-bowler most likely to make way for Ashwin. Sharma looked out of sorts at Headingley, returning with figures of 0-92 in his 22 overs.

Khan said:

"You'll have to see which bowler didn't look in rhythm in the last game and also how you started the series. From that perspective, I believe you might not see Ishant Sharma play in this match."

Shardul Thakur can be used as a bowling all-rounder in place of Mohammed Siraj: Zaheer Khan

Zaheer khan (PC: Twitter)

Zaheer Khan further said India might also rest Mohammed Siraj (13 wickets in the series) for the fourth Test to bolster their lower order with Shardul Thakur. Khan concluded:

"If you are looking for more contributions with the bat, you can also think about Siraj - both from a workload-management perspective and for strengthening the batting. Shardul is such a player who can be used as a bowling all-rounder... and will provide that extra cushion in batting."

The Test match will begin at 3:30 PM IST on Thursday. Indian skipper Virat Kohli is likely to shed more light on the possible changes later today.

Hello and welcome to The Oval. Our venue for the 4th Test against England.It's been a damp morning so far.#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/LmeFqxjGkw

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 31, 2021