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Shubman Gill-led Team India faces a daunting task of keeping themselves afloat in the ongoing Test series against England. For that they need to win the upcoming fourth Test against England as they are trailing the series 1-2 after Lord's heartbreak. Notably, the fourth Test between India and England will be played from July 23 at the Old Trafford in Manchester. The series has been a captivating affair so far, marked by significant shifts in momentum and high levels of excitement. The intense cricketing action and dramatic turns have even drawn reactions from legendary players.
Despite facing considerable criticism following a poor performance at Lord's, Team India has also received acknowledgment for their efforts in earlier matches at Leeds and Birmingham, as well as their performance at Lord's until the final innings.
Mohammed Kaif highlights India's biggest weakness ahead of Manchester Test
Among those who have voiced their support for the Indian side is former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif. He has expressed his confidence in the current playing eleven, including players who haven't yet performed to their full potential in the series.
In contrast to many former cricketers who have suggested changes to the Indian lineup in their media appearances, Mohammad Kaif has made a different appeal. He believes that India tends to overreact to losses by making unnecessary changes to the team. Therefore, he has urged the Indian management to maintain the same playing eleven that featured in the Lord's Test for the upcoming match in Manchester.
"One thing I’ve noticed—when India loses, they panic. When they win, they stick with the same XI. After losing the first test, they made 2-3 changes. But after winning in Birmingham, only Bumrah came in—no other changes. That’s been the pattern. Even after losing the third Test, I believe they should back the same team going into Manchester," Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
Kaif also touched upon the 'Karun Nair' topic and said that it will be test for Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir to decide whether they want to continue with the veteran batter in the next Test or not. The return of Karun Nair, India's triple centurion, to the international Test side after an eight-year hiatus has unfortunately not gone as hoped, with his comeback story turning into a significant disappointment.
Nair's performance in the current series hasn't been promising. Across six innings, Nair has amassed just 131 runs at an average 21.83 with his highest score being 40 runs. In the first three matches, his individual scores were 0, 20, 31, 26, 40, and 14, achieved at a strike rate of 52.61. With the promising 23-year-old Sai Sudharsan waiting for an opportunity, it appears that time might be running out for Nair to secure his place in the playing eleven for the fourth against England Test which is set to start from July 23 in Manchester.
"Karun Nair has been getting starts - 30s and 40s - but not converting. Still, he deserves another opportunity. This is a test for both Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir. After a close loss, will they panic and make changes? Or will they trust the players?" Kaif concluded.
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