Eyeing to clinch the Anderson-Tendulkar (formerly Pataudi Trophy), England will look to seal the series when they host India at Old Trafford in the fourth Test match on Wednesday.
Ben Stokes' England outplayed India in the fourth Test match to register a close-fought 22-run victory at Lord's Cricket Ground, a fortress they regained after losing to Virat Kohli's India four years back on the 2020-21 tour.
Keeping their aggressive and attacking Bazball cricket on side, England adopted the traditional play of Test cricket to tackle the Indian bowling lineup. Joe Root scored his 37th Test ton in the match, whereas Jofra Archer took 5 wickets across both innings on his Test return. Stokes (76 runs and 5 wickets across both innings) helped his team seal a comfortable victory and extend the lead to 2-1 in the series.
Meanwhile, the Indian team, after leveling the series with a historic Edgbaston Test victory in the second match, was trapped by the home team at Lord's and lost the match in the most dramatic way. KL Rahul (100 and 39), Ravindra Jadeja (72 and an unbeaten 61), and Jasprit Bumrah (5 for 74 and 2 for 38) played their hearts out but couldn't help India cross the winning line.
With the series getting spiced up, England is currently leading the five-match Test series with 2-1. A victory at Old Trafford will help the home team retain the trophy, whereas a win would see India keeping themselves alive in the series.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times, and the latest lineup news.
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England vs. India 4th Test live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch the 4th Test between England and India in the U.S. and Canada:
Fans in the United States and Canada will be able to watch this game live exclusively on Willow TV.
Willow Sports is a cable TV channel, but if it's not included in your current package or you've cut the cord, it's available on Fubo US and Fubo Canada.
Fubo offers Willow TV as part of its expanded sports offering. In addition to live matches, you can also watch replays and highlights on demand any time from any device.
Fubo US offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
Sports fans can enjoy Fubo Canada's 79-channel lineup, unlimited Cloud DVR and more for as little as $19.25/month.
What time does England vs. India 4th Test start in the US?
The 4th Test match between England and India will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, from Wednesday, July 23, to Sunday, July 27. Play is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. local time (BST) each day, which translates to 6:00 a.m. ET or 3:00 a.m. PT for fans in the United States.
MORE: Top 10 batters with most runs in a Test series listed
England vs. India 4th Test predicted XIs, team news
England bounced back from a disastrous Edgbaston defeat to regain their Lord's fortress against India. They defeated the visitors by 22 runs and extended their lead to 2-1 in the series. Joe Root, Jofra Archer, and skipper Ben Stokes were the star performers from the England camp with their performance. Root scored his 37th Test ton, Archer took 5 wickets across both innings on his Test return, and Stokes contributed with both his batting and bowling.
The opening duo of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett failed to impress at Lord's with their batting skills, but the duo is capable of playing an attacking style of cricket, and they won't get any better opportunity to showcase their prowess in the fourth Test match when the stakes are already high and England already has an advantage. Jamie Smith (415) and Harry Brook (314) continue to be the top two best-performing batters from the England side.
Shoaib Bashir, who was already struggling in the team, has been ruled out from the fourth Test match with a fractured finger. Liam Dawson has been recalled for his Test return after an 8-year gap. Dawson's last Test appearance came against South Africa back in 2017. He is a left-arm spinner and has 371 first-class wickets to his name.
Dawson is the only change the Stokes have opted for in the fourth Test match; the rest of the players have retained their place. Archer, who impressed the crowd on his Test return, will be eager to drop another banger performance in Manchester.
England predicted XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson.
As for India, KL Rahul has been spectacular with his batting at the top, providing much-needed batting stability at the top order. Yashasvi Jaiswal's form hasdipped after scoring a half-century in the second Test match; he will be eager to get back on track.
Shubman Gill is leading India's batting lineup single-handedly, consistently piling up huge runs with his centuries. Gill, who has already accumulated 607 runs in just 6 innings, is leading the highest run scorer list. After him, Rishabh Pant (425) and Ravindra Jadeja (327) are India's two best-performing batters. Pant, who was seen in discomfort during the Lord's Test match, can play as a specialist batter in the fourth Test match. In that case, Dhruv Jurel can be seen in the playing XI, keeping the wickets for the team.
Karun Nair, who has failed to impress in his six outings on this tour, can make way for Sai Sudharsan, who was made to sit out after featuring in his debut first Test. Nitish Kumar Reddy is injured and will be rested from the fourth Test match; in that case, Kuldeep Yadav or Dhruv Jurel is likely to be added to the playing XI for the fourth Test match. Washington Sundar, who has been brilliant with his bowling, can make way for Shardul Thakur if the conditions demand the fourth seamer, or the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir can opt for a tactical 3-spinner strategy for the English batters.
Jasprit Bumrah has been confirmed to play the fourth Test match, a match that can prove to be a deciding factor in the series, and Bumrah's contribution has always played a vital role in India's success. Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh have suffered injuries ahead of the fourth Test match and are likely to be ruled out. If Akash isn't fit to play, then Prasidh Krishna or Anshul Kamboj can get a nod in the playing XI. Prasidh, who played the first two Test matches, had to sit out of the third match for Bumrah.
India predicted XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar/Shardul Thakur, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav/Dhruv Jurel, Mohammed Siraj.