IND Vs ENG Test Series, July 21 Dispatch: Nitish Reddy Ruled Out As Kamboj Added To Squad; Graham Thorpe To Be Honoured

With the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy slipping away after a 1-2 deficit, India head into the fourth Test at Old Trafford with hopes of a turnaround. While the scoreline favours England, India have shown flashes of brilliance, especially under the young leadership of Shubman Gill.

The narrow loss at Lord's exemplified India’s attacking mindset, and the team now has a fresh opportunity to strike back in Manchester.

Gill's Leadership Journey So Far

Shubman Gill’s captaincy debut has been a mixed bag. Despite trailing in the series, his leadership has been praised for its composure and tactical clarity. Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes this eight-day break before the fourth Test is crucial for Gill.

“Gill is a young captain, and he has already surpassed expectations, both with the bat and as a leader. This eight-day break comes at a perfect time for him,” said Manjrekar. “He has to find his own path now, a path that enhances both his leadership and batting.”

Squad Woes Continue: Reddy and Arshdeep Ruled Out

India’s injury list have grown longer. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is out for the remainder of the series with a knee injury, while pacer Arshdeep Singh has been ruled out of the Manchester Test due to a thumb injury sustained during practice. Anshul Kamboj has been added to the squad.

Updated India squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj.

Chopra Slams Lack of Clarity in Selection

Former India opener Aakash Chopra criticised the team management for its inconsistent approach in handling pace bowling backups. He questioned why Harshit Rana, who was initially retained as a cover for the first Test, was later dropped, only for Anshul Kamboj to be called up ahead of the fourth Test.

“It’s very interesting... Anshul was sent back earlier and now his name appears again. If Harshit was good enough then, why not now? There is no clarity,” Chopra said.

A Day at Carrington: Sporting Minds Unite

Ahead of the crucial Test, the Indian squad took a detour to Carrington, Manchester United’s training facility. It was a unique blend of cricket and football as India skipper Shubman Gill interacted with Man United captain Bruno Fernandes.

“It’s very exciting to meet top athletes from other sports... the mindset is often very similar,” said Gill. Gautam Gambhir also shared insights with United players, underlining the shared foundation of team sports.

“It’s the player who adapts to what the team needs, not the other way around,” said Gambhir.

Emotional Tribute: A Day for Graham Thorpe

England will honour the late Graham Thorpe during the fifth Test at The Oval on what would have been his 56th birthday. His family will host 'A Day for Thorpey' on August 1, raising awareness for mental health through charity Mind.

“We want to celebrate him and his memory. His light was so bright,” said Amanda, Thorpe’s wife to BBC Sport.