Team India’s injury list has grown longer ahead of the crucial fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, as skipper Shubman Gill confirmed that pacer Akash Deep has been ruled out due to injury. This setback adds to the absence of Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy, compounding India’s selection headaches.
“It's never easy when there are a few injuries in the squad. Nitish Kumar Reddy is going to miss out on the series. Akash Deep is also unavailable for the next match, so is Arshdeep,” Gill said during the pre-match press conference.
Despite the growing list of injuries, Gill remained optimistic. “We have enough good players in the team to firstly, pick 20 wickets – that’s been the most challenging part of the series. It is not ideal to have different bowlers, but I was prepared.”
Squad Update: Anshul Kamboj Joins as Replacement
To address the mounting injuries, the Indian team added uncapped fast bowler Anshul Kamboj to the squad earlier this week as a replacement for Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is sidelined for the remainder of the series due to a knee injury.
“We have seen him (Anshul) enough. The kind of skillset he brings to the table is exactly what we want. We believe he can win us the match,” Gill remarked.
Toss-up for Third Pacer Spot
The third pacer’s position will be a selection battle between Anshul Kamboj and Prasidh Krishna. While Prasidh featured in the first two Tests, Kamboj’s inclusion in the playing XI remains a strong possibility.
“Anshul is very close to making his debut,” Gill revealed. “But we’ll see tomorrow between him and Prasidh who is going to make it to the XI.”
Pant to Keep Wickets Again
India received a much-needed boost with Rishabh Pant cleared to resume wicketkeeping duties. The flamboyant wicketkeeper had taken a blow during the Lord’s Test while collecting a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah, which kept him off the field. Though he returned to bat, his availability behind the stumps was in doubt until Gill’s confirmation.
Karun Nair Gets Backing from Team
Gill also threw his support behind Karun Nair, who has been under pressure after an underwhelming return to the Test arena, scoring only 131 runs in six innings.
“We think Karun is batting well. Sometimes it’s not easy— in the first match, he didn’t really play at his number. It’s difficult when a player is making a comeback in a series like this,” Gill noted. “But I don’t think there’s been any issue with his batting.”
He added, “Sometimes it’s about getting that one start—once you’re able to make your 50, you get back into your zone. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened for him so far, but we are hopeful he’ll turn it around.”
Fourth Test Begins Tomorrow
The much-anticipated fourth Test match of the series begins tomorrow, July 23, at Old Trafford, Manchester. With the series tightly contested and injuries forcing reshuffles, India’s depth and resilience will once again be put to the test.
