IND vs ENG 2021: 3 changes India may look to make in the 5th Test at Manchester
It was a resounding win for India in the fourth Test against England. The visitors went into the fifth day and prised out the English batters to win by 157 runs.
India now head into the final Test in Manchester and will press for another win. A draw does the job too as India will still return home with a 2-1 victory.
That said, this might also be the Test that sees Virat Kohli ring in some changes in the playing XI. We took a shot at predicting some of the changes India could look to make in Manchester.
#1 India rests Ajinkya Rahane and plays Hanuma Vihari
Ajinkya Rahane's lean patch throughout the series means he will most likely sit out the final Test. If he does, India will most likely turn to Hanuma Vihari, who is yet to play his first game in the series.
In 12 Test matches for India so far, Vihari has stacked 624 runs at an average of 32.84. While the numbers are not exactly Rahane-esque, they have come when the team needed them the most.
For now, he is the front-runner to fill the middle-order spot.
#2 Ravichandran Ashwin for Ravindra Jadeja
While Jadeja was picked throughout the series purely for the extra firepower he provided with the bat, he faces stiff competition from a fellow tweaker who has picked wickets in Test cricket irrespective of the conditions.
R Ashwin is no slouch with the bat either. As for his bowling, he is yet to pick up a Test wicket at Old Trafford and will be itching to get his name in the wickets column.
# Rest Bumrah and bring back Mohammad Shami
Mohammad Shami missed playing the fourth Test due to a niggle. If he's better, he will most likely play in place of Jasprit Bumrah, who has played in all four matches. He will probably be given a break as the veteran seamer returns to the fold.
India might be tempted to give Prasidh Krishna a go as well. However, with a win on their minds, they will most likely fall back on experience.