Introduction
The scene is set at Old Trafford. The 2025 India Tour of England ramps up some drama as the two cricketing giants get ready for a massive 4th Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, which takes place from July 23rd to July 27th. The match presents a wealth of importance considering England leads the series 2-1, while it is a must-win game for India to keep the series alive. Old Trafford has great Test match experience and has traditionally favored spinners on the latter days of the match. We can expect a fantastic five days of cricket.
Match Information
- Match: England vs. India, 4th Test of a 5-Test series
- Date: July 23rd-27th, 2025
- Time: 10:00 AM (UTC)
- Venue: Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester
- Series Status: England leads 2-1.
Head-to-Head Stats
| Stats | Matches | India Won | England Won | Drawn | Tied | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 139 | 36 | 53 | 50 | 0 | 0 |
| At Old Trafford | 9 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Last 5 Matches | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
India has a poor record at Old Trafford, having never won a Test match here out of nine attempts, while England has used this as their fortress, winning four out of their nine matches.
Squad news & expected playing XIs
England Squad & News
England Squad
Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes
Most likely played XI.
Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Ollie Pope
Joe Root
Harry Brook
Ben Stokes (C)
Jamie Smith (WK)
Chris Woakes
Liam Dawson
Jofra Archer
Brydon Carse
England goes into the game in very good spirits after recording a 22-run victory at Lord's to lead the series 2-1.
India Squad & News
India Squad
Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Anshul Kambhoj, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav
Most likely played XI.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
KL Rahul
Shubman Gill (C)
Rishabh Pant
Karun Nair
Ravindra Jadeja
Washington Sundar
Dhruv Jurel (WK)Jasprit Bumrah
Mohammed Siraj
Anshul Kambhoj
Injury Updates:
Arshdeep Singh has a finger injury.
Nitish Kumar Reddy is ruled out due to a gym injury.
Pant may play as a batter only; Jurel to keep wickets.
Pitch & Weather Report
Pitch Report:
Day 1: Seamers will have early assistance.
Days 2 & 3: The best days for batting
Days 4 & 5: Spinners will be on top.
Average 1st innings score: 331
Chasing in the 4th inning is very tough.
Weather Report:
Days 1 & 2: Light rain expected
Temperature: Max 19 degrees, Min 13 degrees
Cloudy conditions for most of this time could give seamers assistance early.
Match Breakdown & Game Strategy
India Strategy
India has shown brilliance in patches but cannot close games. Batting will depend on Shubman Gill's consistency and Rishabh Pant's explosive bat. Kuldeep Yadav can have a big impact after Day 3; Bumrah coming back will offer some serious speed in the pace department.
England Strategy
England's fearless approach shown under Stokes works. Root continues to lead things, Brook is aggressive, and the bowling attack is consistent, led by Archer and Woakes. England is playing at home for this series, and coming off a win at Lord's will give them further strength.
Fantasy Tips: Vision11 Fantasy Cricket Team Picks
Captain & Vice-Captain Picks:
Captain: Shubman Gill (India)
Vice-Captain: Joe Root (England)
Must-Have Picks:
Rishabh Pant—match-winning abilities
Ben Stokes—known for making an impact
Jasprit Bumrah—wicket-taker
Kuldeep Yadav—possible match-winner Day 4-5
Budget Picks:
Washington Sundar—could provide you with all-round value
Jamie Smith—good bat, gets you keeper points
Pro Strategy:
Make sure you pick 2-3 frontline spinners from each team, and you should select any top-order batters that are likely to bat for some time. Don't select more than 2 seamers per team; it can be expected that the spinners will play a big role in the last days.
Betting Players
Top Indian Players
Shubman Gill: With 607 runs, he leads the series in runs scored.
KL Rahul: He needs to get a score on the board.
Jasprit Bumrah had two 5-fors in the series already.
Kuldeep Yadav: Ideal weapon on a turning pitch.
Top England Players
Joe Root is back to form, with a century at Lord's.
Ben Stokes is captaining the team with bat and ball.
Jamie Smith is a wicketkeeper-batter in good form.
Chris Woakes is reliable with the bat while performing as a bowler.
England vs. India Match Toss Prediction
Old Trafford can provide mixed messages around the toss. In 7 of the last 10 matches, teams winning the toss opted to bat first; however, with rain on the horizon and cloudy conditions, some teams may opt to bowl first.
Score Prediction
Expected First Innings Total: 340-350
Winning score/type: A total of 420+ across both innings should be good for victory.
Who Will Win the 4th Test? Final Prediction
Through stats, India has performed better on paper but has stumbled at crucial moments. With the support of the Old Trafford pitch, the momentum from the last Test, and home crowds to push them on, England has a slight advantage. But if India can cast their mistakes aside and capture Jasprit Bumrah in his best form, this series could just come India's way.
