Stokes, Brendon McCullum assess Manchester track ahead of all-important clash

England skipper Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum were seen assessing the pitch conditions at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground ahead of the fourth Test match against Team India.

The fourth Test match is all set to begin from July 23 onwards, with the hosts leading the five-match series by 2-1. They have also won the previous match, which was played at the Lord`s Cricket Ground by 22 runs.

During the third Test, Shoaib Bashir sustained an injury, following which he has been ruled out for the remainder of the series.  The spinner fractured his finger and was England`s front-line spinner in the ongoing series. England has now named Liam Dawson as his replacement in the playing XI.

Dawson last played a Test for England in 2017, making a return to the longest format after eight years.

The left-arm orthodox spinner, who made his debut against India back in 2016, has seven wickets to his name from three Test matches.

The 35-year-old has been rewarded for his form in the ongoing County Championship season, where he boasts 21 wickets from nine outings for Hampshire.

Additionally, Team India`s Nitish Kumar Reddy has also been ruled out, as he sustained an injury during the gym session. Pacer Arshdeep Singh is also not available for the fourth Test, owing to an injury. The visitor`s think tank has now added Anshul Kamboj in the mix. It will be interesting to see if wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav makes the cut in the playing XI for the fourth Test match or will continue his wait on the bench.

Recapping the Lord`s Test of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, an unfortunate dismissal of Mohammed Siraj at the hands of Shoaib Bashir, with the ball rolling back into the stumps after a landing on the pitch, marked the end of India`s stubborn resistance at Lord`s, with Ravindra Jadeja left stranded following a heartbreaking 22-run loss.

India lost the match despite dominating England for large parts of the game, with Jasprit Bumrah being one of the standout performers. He took seven wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings.`

(With ANI Inputs)