England Cricket Board (ECB) on Thursday announced their playing eleven for the fourth Test match against India in Ranchi with Ollie Robinson and Shoaib Bashir coming into the side for the Three Lions.
In a statement released by the ECB, England announced that Rehan Ahmed and Mark Wood have not been included in the side to make space for Robinson and Bashir.
Robinson is set to play his first Test since suffering from a back spasm in the first innings of the third Ashes Test last July, replacing Mark Wood. This will be Robinson’s first outing in India. He will accompany James Anderson who managed only one wicket in the Rajkot Test in the two innings.
All eyes will be on whether Ben Stokes decides to bowl, as he hinted at a possible return to bowling duties for the remainder of the series in India. He revealed that he has been practicing during the warm-ups between Tests.
The change comes as no surprise as England have looked to shuffle their fast bowlers to manage workload through the series and adapt according to what the playing conditions might offer.
Bashir, who played his debut Test in Visakhapatnam, also finds a spot in the side in place of Rehan Ahmed. The leg-spinner took 3/138 and 1/58 in the second match. Tom Hartley continues to hold his position in the side while Joe Root will continue to shoulder spin-bowling duties.
The batting line-up of the England team remains untouched for the fourth consecutive match.
England Playing XI:
1. Zak Crawley
2. Ben Duckett
3. Ollie Pope
4. Joe Root
5. Jonny Bairstow
6. Ben Stokes (C)
7. Ben Foakes
8. Tom Hartley
9. Ollie Robinson
10. James Anderson
11. Shoaib Bashir
Asked about the possibility of him bowling in the match, Ben Stokes said, “Nah, I think it’s maybe, maybe not.”
Stokes said going in with two pacers is the best option for England, forcing them to include the tall Ollie Robinson in the playing XI, even though the Ranchi track is likely to assist the spinners.
“Bringing Robbo (Robinson) in gives us good options, especially looking at this wicket,” Stokes said at the pre-match media interaction.
“I feel like the spin will be assisted, but I also feel having two seamers gives us a good chance purely because of Ollie Robinson’s release height and his relentlessness with his areas.”
*With Agency Inputs
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Published: 22 Feb 2024, 04:30 PM IST