India vs England Match Prediction: Who will win the 4th Test match?
It's a testament to Jasprit Bumrah's class that in a series where spin was expected to rule the roost, the ace pacer has managed to pick up 17 wickets at an average of 13.64 across the first three Tests. What that also means is that his absence will be the biggest narrative as India and England gear up to slug it out in Ranchi from Friday, February 23.
Bumrah's workload wasn't too high in Rajkot, but the think tank has decided to give him a breather. England will be well aware that this is their best chance to stage a comeback in the series, and their result-oriented approach hints that the rubber will likely be decided by the time the two caravans move to Dharamsala.
India are without not just Bumrah but KL Rahul as well. Their middle order has somewhat suffered in the latter's absence, but Sarfaraz Khan's introduction and Ravindra Jadeja's reintroduction in the last game greatly helped matters.
Under Ben Stokes, England are yet to lose a Test series. On the back of one of their biggest-ever losses, the visitors will need to show character and make the most of their advantages in Ranchi, where history dictates that winning the toss will be a huge factor.
Can India make it three on the trot and seal another home Test series triumph? Or will England come roaring back and set up a decider?
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England have made a couple of tweaks to their XI, with Shoaib Bashir and Ollie Robinson replacing Rehan Ahmed and Mark Wood. That might be a move to bring some more control into their bowling attack and keep themselves guarded against any conditions they might encounter.
Stokes appeared to be confused by the pitch during the pre-match press conferences, and there hasn't been much word on what it's going to be like. In all likelihood, both pacers and spinners are going to have a say as the Test wears on, and the team batting first is primed to have a massive advantage.
So while both teams have been fairly evenly matched so far, it might be a tough bridge to cross for India, who will be without their main men in both the batting and the bowling departments. Without Bumrah's control and wicket-taking ability in the middle overs, the hosts will be completely reliant on their spinners to do the heavy lifting.
While Ravichandran Ashwin is due a big haul, so are Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow. Even Stokes hasn't had the kind of impact he usually does with the bat, and as someone who is now fit to bowl as well, he could bring his best to the fore with the series on the line.
India's batting lineup doesn't inspire much confidence. They are top-heavy, and they won't always be able to recover from an early collapse like they did in Rajkot. If Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has carried them so far, has an underwhelming Test, they could be in serious trouble.
India definitely have the resources to win in Ranchi and seal the series, but Bumrah has left a massive hole that simply cannot be plugged. While the home side might even be the favorites, given that they are on a two-game winning streak, England have every chance to pull level with a hard-fought win.
Prediction: England to win the 4th Test vs India.