03:50 – Toss News
England have won the toss and have chosen to bat.
For the first time since that opening Test, the toss has gone Ben Stokes’ way and he has unsurprisingly chosen to bat first. That is just what you do in Indian conditions, almost all of the time.
It doesn’t mean that England are favourites for this match of course, but it’s an excellent start. Decent first innings runs would give them the platform to control the Test on a pitch that looks like it’ll turn big, maybe from the start, definitely in the back-half of the match.
03:45 – Hello and Welcome
Good morning. Feeling fresh?
The prospect of a fascinating fourth Test in Ranchi had me leaping out of bed a little while ago, and it’s great to have you here with me.
It’s been a fascinating series so far and promises to be another belter of a match, and the first ball is only 15 minutes away.
I’m Tom Bennett and I’ll bring you over-by-over updates throughout the day, and you can follow the whole Test right here on TNT Sports, with the series broadcast in full on TNT Sports and discovery+.
‘I don’t know what could happen,’ says Stokes on ‘dark and crumbly’ Ranchi pitch
Ben Stokes said he has “never seen something like that before” when giving his assessment of the pitch to be used in England’s crucial fourth Test with India in Ranchi.
England trail 2-1 in the series and will have to adapt to the conditions if they are to prevail and force a decider.
Speaking ahead of the fourth Test, Stokes said: “I’ve never seen something like that before. I don’t know what could happen.
“If you looked down one side of opposite ends it just looked different to what I am used to seeing, especially out in India.”
He added: “It looked green and grassy up in the changing rooms, but then you go out there it looked different – very dark and crumbly and quite a few cracks in it.”
The unpredictable surface could make it difficult for batters, which might play into the .visitors’ hands following their 434-run defeat in Rajkot last week.
Robinson and Bashir in as England make two changes for fourth Test
England have made two changes to their side for the fourth Test.
Into the attack come fast bowler Ollie Robinson and off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, with Mark Wood and Rehan Ahmed missing out.
It will be a first game of the series for 30-year-old Robinson, who last featured for England in last summer’s five-Test clash with Australia.
Bashir, meanwhile, took four wickets on his debut in the second Test against India in Vizag and joins fellow spinner Tom Hartley as England look to bounce back from a disappointing showing in Rajkot.
Elsewhere, Jonny Bairstow keeps his place despite coming under scrutiny for his poor batting form. The 34-year-old has averaged just 17 runs in six innings, with a top score of 37.
The visitors trail 2-1 after back-to-back defeats. England won the first Test before India levelled the contest in Vizag before thrashing the tourists by 434 runs in Rajkot last week.
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