England have confirmed one change to their playing XI for the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, starting Wednesday. Hampshire all-rounder Liam Dawson replaces the injured Shoaib Bashir, marking his first Test appearance since July 2017.
Dawson, a seasoned domestic performer, offers depth with both bat and ball on what is expected to be a spin-friendly surface in Manchester.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Dawson steps in for Shoaib Bashir, who suffered a broken finger on his left hand during the first innings of last week's Lord's Test but showed great resilience by taking the final wicket to secure a 2-1 series lead for England. Bashir has since undergone surgery, with a wire inserted into his left pinkie to ensure proper healing. In Bashir's absence, Dawson will earn his fourth Test cap, with his last appearance dating back to July 2017 against South Africa.
As a left-arm spinner, Dawson has claimed 371 first-class wickets. He has been particularly impressive in recent seasons, with 12 of his 15 five-wicket hauls—including three ten-wicket matches—coming since 2021. Since the start of the 2023 season, he has taken 124 wickets for Hampshire at an average of 25.64, complemented by 956 runs at 59.75, which earned him the prestigious men's PCA Player of the Year award last year.
This summer, Dawson's performance includes 21 wickets at an average of 40.04, with an economy rate of 2.55, along with 536 runs at 44.66. Over the past five seasons, he has scored nine first-class centuries, including three in 2023 and three in 2024.
His recent recall to the England squad marks a surprising turnaround, after seeming to have finished his international career. Earlier this summer, he returned to the T20I side after a three-year hiatus, delivering a notable performance of 4 for 20 against the West Indies in his comeback match, captained by England's newly appointed limited-overs captain, Harry Brook.
"He's a wily, old fox," Brook said at Emirates Old Trafford on Monday. "He's very experienced and a very skilful cricketer. He's played everywhere, played against everyone so hopefully he can have an amazing performance this week.
"As we've seen over the Test series, the footholes have been for the left-handed batters outside off, so hopefully he can land it in the footholes and create a bit of spice and some opportunities to take wickets.
"He's willing to always fight for the team, he's very competitive and it's good to have him here."
England playing XI for fourth Test vs India: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.
For India, the spotlight is on Anshul Kamboj,
the 24-year-old right-arm pacer who could be in line for a memorable Test debut, as reported earlier by TimesofIndia.com.
Called up as injury cover, Kamboj has had a whirlwind few days, joining the team on Saturday, meeting Manchester United players on Sunday, and bowling full tilt in Monday’s net session.
He impressed the coaching staff, including Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar, with his accuracy and relentless line and length against top-order batters like KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
India’s pace attack has been hit by fitness issues, with Akash Deep still recovering from a groin strain and Arshdeep Singh ruled out due to a hand injury.
This leaves Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna, and Kamboj as the available seam options. Prasidh’s limited involvement with the new ball during practice hints at a possible debut for Kamboj.
Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant has resumed wicketkeeping duties during practice, looking comfortable despite minor discomfort in his left hand.
His return behind the stumps is a major boost for India. However, Akash Deep’s fitness test did not go as hoped, making his participation in the Test unlikely.
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