England announce playing XI for fourth Test, Mark Wood and Rehan Ahmed out, check out who have replaced them

So much anticipation was going on about England’s playing XI in the upcoming fourth Test in Ranchi. Different experts have their different opinions after losing the third Test in Rajkot. England have been thrashed by 434 runs. India are leading the five-match series by 2-1 after a win in Rajkot. After the first Test in Hyderabad England were ahead in the series by 1-0. Their former cricketers like Monty Panesar said England might win the series by 5-0. Suddenly whole equation was changed after the second Test.

India made a great comeback in Visakhapatnam and won the test by 106 runs to equal the series by 1-1. Thanks to India’s speed star Jasprit Bumrah and young left-handed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. Bumrah picked up 9 wickets in that Test and Jaiswal scored his maiden double ton. Rohit Sharma co-led the series by 2-1 after a commendable win in the third Test in Rajkot.

Jaiswal made fun of England bowlers in this Test. He scored consecutive double hundred in Tests. Skipper Rohit Sharma and ace all-rounder Jadeja scored centuries in the first innings. Debutant Sarfaraz Khan scored fifties in both innings and sealed his spot for the fourth Test. England all out at only 122 in the second innings, the whole innings have been ended in 39.4 overs.

England will play with two spinners on spin heavy surface at Ranchi

After a humiliating defeat in the third Test, former England skipper Alister Cook said that Jonny Bairstow should have been out for his poor batting skills against spin and Dan Lawrance should be in for the fourth Test in Ranchi. But skipper Ben Stokes, Coach Brendon McCullum and former England player Michael Atherton supported Bairstow in his tough times.

After all the speculations in England Camp, the ECB (England Cricket Board) finally announced the playing eleven for the fourth Test on Thursday. Some strange decisions have been made. In a spin-heavy black soil track, England will play with two spinners and use Joe Root as a part-timer. Ranchi is the home ground of former India World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni.

This pitch is an absolute rank turner, the ball might spin from day one. England removed their speed star Mark Wood and took Ollie Robinson instead. It will be his first appearance in this series. They remove leg spinner Rehan Ahmed and take Shoaib Bashir in the playing eleven. England are still confident about Jonny Bairstow and their veteran pacer James Anderson. It will be a do-or-die match for England, if they lose, they will lose the series as well.

Here is England’s playing XI for the fourth Test:

1. Zak Crawley
2. Ben Duckett
3. Ollie Pope
4. Joe Root
5. Jonny Bairstow
6. Ben Stokes (C)
7. Ben Foakes
8. Tom Hartley
9. Ollie Robinson
10. James Anderson
11. Shoaib Bashir