The fourth Test match of the India vs England series will be played from Wednesday at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester. The host team, England, has announced its playing XI for the Manchester Test. Spinner Liam Dawson has received a surprise recall after 8 years and will be seen in action at Manchester. He has replaced the injured Shoaib Bashir. Despite being injured, Bashir bowled in the second innings at Lord’s and dismissed Mohammad Siraj, helping England clinch a thrilling 22-run win. England currently leads the five-match series 2-1.
England has made only one change to their playing XI for the Manchester Test. The 35-year-old Dawson has played three Tests in his career, taking seven wickets. He last played a Test for England in 2017 against South Africa. Dawson has also featured in six ODIs and 14 T20 Internationals for England, picking up 5 and 11 wickets respectively. He was part of England’s 2019 ODI World Cup squad but didn’t get to play a single match during the tournament.
Although Dawson hasn’t played much international cricket, he has honed his skills over the years through various T20 leagues. He also brings solid first-class experience to the table. In 212 first-class matches, Dawson has claimed 371 wickets and scored 10,731 runs, including 18 centuries. He is a handy lower-middle order batter. England batter Harry Brook commented that Dawson’s experience will be crucial for the hosts, and his inclusion further strengthens the team’s batting depth.
England’s Playing XI for the 4th Test vs India: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.