🏏England tour of India 2025: 4th T20I: 31/01/25 at 7:00 PM IST🏏

Looks like it's not the best time to be an India skipper. Having been there and done that, Rohit Sharma would know it very well. Suryakumar Yadav must also be experiencing the difficulty of it. Scores of 21(17), 4(9), 1(4) and DNB in South Africa; 0(3), 12(7) and 14(7) in the current series are surely not the numbers that one is used to associating with Suryakumar.

The difference, rather solace for Suryakumar, is that his Indian team is not losing, like Rohit's. India are leading the current series against England 2-1.

"I wouldn't say that consistency or predictability is a particularly high mark in T20 cricket," Ryan ten Doeschate, the team's assistant coach, said, understandably defending the captain. "The way the international T20 game has gone, we allow for a bit of inconsistency and a bit of a lean patch like he's going through at the moment.

Coach Gautam Gambhir is very keen to back these guys and give them a long road, a long chance to prove themselves.

For what it is worth, the England team's strategy of bowling short through the express pace of Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Brydon Carse, did not make things easy for the home batters, Surya included. The skipper got out to the pacers, like most of his fellow batters, in all three matches so far.

England have mostly bowled short or hard length deliveries; there were very few deliveries that were pitched up to the frontline batsmen.

The Englishmen have largely also banked on frenzied pace and that may explain the reason the visitors have left players like Sam Curran and Reece Topley out of the squad. Both were part of England's tour of the West Indies late last year.

The visitors are bowling with fire at the moment. The pace blitz is evidently working for Jos Buttler and he is expected to persist with the tactics in the fourth T20I here at Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Gahunje, Pune.

The Westerly crosswinds through the ground can help their pace barrage, expected to be unleashed again by Archer & Co with solid support from veteran leggie Adil Rashid. It's a challenge and opportunity for the Indian batsmen and they should relish it.

The Indians, on the other hand, have been relying majorly on spin, with Varun Chakaravarty being the standout spinner. If the home team is leading the series, it is largely due to their spinners and they might continue with that strategy here in Pune.

For the record, the Indian spinners have claimed 18 wickets as against eight from the pacers. England pacers have had double the success of Indian pacers and spinners half of it (four scalps). The different styles of attack in the series makes it a riveting one - a contest of contrasts.

What to expect: It's going to be a high-scoring match and if the totals don't exceed 200, something that was seen frequently in the last IPL, then it could be largely because of good bowling rather than assistance from the pitch. India will look to close the series on Friday itself but it would be easier hoped than achieved.

The pitch at the MCA Stadium is known for being spin-friendly, offering turn and bounce to the bowlers, especially in the middle overs. However, it is also balanced, providing ample support for the batsmen, who can score freely with the right timing. Early on, pacers are likely to extract movement from the surface, which could provide them with an advantage in the initial overs.

The weather forecast during the match indicates clear skies and temperatures around 18°C, ensuring ideal conditions for a thrilling game. Cricket enthusiasts can expect an exciting contest between two top teams with everything to play for in this crucial encounter.

The pitch at the MCA Stadium is known for being spin-friendly, offering turn and bounce to the bowlers, especially in the middle overs.

However, it is also balanced, providing ample support for the batsmen, who can score freely with the right timing. Early on, pacers are likely to extract movement from the surface, which could provide them with an advantage in the initial overs.

The weather forecast during the match indicates clear skies and temperatures around 18°C, ensuring ideal conditions for a thrilling game. Cricket enthusiasts can expect an exciting contest between two top teams with everything to play for in this crucial encounter.

MCA Cricket Stadium key stats The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune has hosted four T20Is, with an equal split in victories between teams batting first and second. The highest total is 206/6, scored by Sri Lanka against India in 2023, while the lowest total of 101 all out was posted by India against Sri Lanka in 2016.

The highest successful chase stands at 158/5 by India against England in 2012. Axar Patel holds the highest individual score with 65 off 31 balls. The stadium has seen 58 sixes, 87 fours, and 8 fifties, with Dasun Shanaka's 3/16 being the best bowling performance.

Thanks for the thread Madhu.

Now it is in India's hands to make the final match a dead rubber or an exciting finale.

Boys, don't disappoint me please!

Cheers..

India

Rinku Singh is back in the mix. In fact he never left the team and on Thursday India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate declared that he is fit. He was actually seen practising at the nets for a long time, an indication that he could feature in the XI in the match. Should he come into the XI, India may have to leave out Dhruv Jurel.

Tactics and Match-up: India used five spinners in the last game - Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi and Abhishek Sharma - as against two pacers - Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya. The spin-centric attack is expected to continue.

Probable XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy

England

England have not announced their XI for the game but it is likely they may retain the XI that won the game for them in Rajkot. Any change, it would be a forced one. Some chatter is that Jamie Smith has a calf injury. If true, he could be replaced by Jacob Bethell.

Tactics & Match-ups: Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Brydon Carse have been effective and England are expected to continue with their pace power, wisely utilising Adil Rashid, who has stood out with his skill as much as guile.

Playing XI: Ben Duckett, Philip Salt (wk), Jos Buttler (c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.

Did you know?

- Harry Brook has tallied only 38 runs in the three matches in the series so far

- Varun Chakaravarthy is averaging 8.5 with the ball in this series

- Hardik Pandya needs two more wickets to draw level with Yuzvendra Chahal and become the joint second-highest wicket-taker for India in the format.

This series has been a battle between India's spinners and England's pacers, with batters on both sides blowing hot and cold. India won the first battle emphatically, then just about managed to keep England out in the second thanks to Tilak Varma. In the third, though, even a five-wicket haul from Varun Chakravarthy was not enough for them to avoid defeat. England seem to have got increasingly better at winning in these conditions in their own way as the series progressed and so India would know that they have their task cut out as far as keeping their lead goes for the rest of this series.

Some of India's batters will be under the spotlight today, particularly openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Both their positions are set to be threatened by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill whenever they return to the T20 fold. Samson had done more than enough to get an extended run in the position thanks to his three centuries in four innings before this series. Here, though, he seems to have been completely found out by Jofra Archer and Co. Abhishek Sharma played a blinder in the first T20I but wasn't able to make much of an impact in the second and third matches.