England make one change in playing XI for Manchester Test vs India, recall 35-year-old spinner after eight years

Zak Crawley, who has failed to make an impact this series, has managed to retain his place once again despite the heavy criticism from the former players.

England have announced their playing XI for the Manchester Test, making just one change to their XI from the Lord's Test, that too a forced one with Shoaib Bashir ruled out of the match. The off-spinner has been replaced by left-arm orthodox bowler Liam Dawson for the fourth Test, where the hosts will be looking to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series. The English team has not completely dominated the series but managed to hold their nerves in crucial positions to edge past India at Headingley and Lord's.

Shoaib Bashir has been ruled out of the Manchester Test. (Action Images via Reuters)

Bashir was ruled out of the remainder of the series after suffering a fracture on the left hand's index finger on the third day of the third Test, trying to stop a powerful drive from Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Bashir had since then undergone surgery.

His departure paved the way for the return of 35-year-old Dawson, who last featured in a Test match back in July 2017 against South Africa — the third and final appearance of his red-ball career so far. Dawson’s recall comes on the back of consistent performances in county cricket, where he has impressed with both bat and ball, earning another shot at the international stage after nearly seven years.

Meanwhile, under-fire Zak Crawley, who has failed to make an impact this series, has managed to retain his place once again despite the heavy criticism from the former players. The hosts also retained the same pace attack from the last match: Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer.

On the other hand, Team India is in trouble after a recent injury crisis in the camp. Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the series, while Arshdeep Singh is unavailable for the Manchester Test. Akash Deep, who has been nursing a groin injury since the Lord's Test, did not get the green light from the team physio to have a go at the nets soon after undergoing a bowling fitness evaluation in the middle under the watchful eyes of coach Morne Morkel. The visitors have included Anshul Kamboj in the squad for the last two Tests, and he might be in line to make his debut in the fourth Test.

England XI:

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (vc), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.