3 things India need to do right to beat England in the 4th Test ft. picking an extra bowler

India have won more passages of play than England, but the series is currently in the hosts' favor. Ben Stokes and his men have held their nerve in tricky situations to take a 2-1 lead, one that could be converted into an unassailable advantage if they triumph in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester.

Shubman Gill wasn't too forthcoming when asked about the potential changes to the playing XI at the pre-match press conference. The Indian captain remarked that a call will be taken on the morning of the match, leaving fans and experts to speculate on the ideal combination.

India's squad for the Test series vs England: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk/vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj.

On that note, here are three things India need to do right in the fourth Test against England.

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#3 Bringing Sai Sudharsan back into the fold is necessary

England & India Net Sessions - Source: Getty

After the first Test, India decided to persist with Karun Nair at No. 3 and relegate Sai Sudharsan to the bench. However, the move hasn't paid off, with Nair failing to convert his starts and still not having even one half-century to his name since his comeback.

Now, it's time for India to bring Sai Sudharsan back into the fold and give him a couple of matches at his ideal batting position. The classy left-hander is clearly one to back for the future, and Nitish Kumar Reddy's injury has paved the way for the side to play an additional specialist batter to preserve the depth they enjoy.

A player like Sai Sudharsan could add a lot of solidity to the lineup, allowing the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant to play more freely.

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#2 The visitors need to bat Ravindra Jadeja higher up the order

England v India - 1st Rothesay Test Match: Day Four - Source: Getty

Ravindra Jadeja has been arguably the pick of the Indian batters throughout the series despite batting lower down the order. The southpaw notched up twin half-centuries at Lord's, albeit in a losing cause, and seems ready to take on more batting responsibility.

Jadeja batting at either No. 4 or No. 5 could have wide-ranging positive effects. Shubman Gill, who was caught out by movement in both innings in the previous Test, would have a slightly better role at No. 5. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant moving down to No. 6 might not be the worst idea either, given his keeping workload and ability to counter the second new ball.

Jadeja's batting with the tail has come under question often, and having a more dynamic strokemaker at his current position could help India on multiple fronts.

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#1 India need to field a fourth specialist bowling option

BORDER GAVASKAR TROPHY TEST: JAN 05 fifth NRMA Insurance Test - Source: Getty

India might be tempted to replace Nitish Kumar Reddy with a specialist batter, but that might leave them without any bowling resources to sustain pressure from both ends. The visitors will likely need to pick a fourth bowling option, either a fast bowler if the pitch is on the greener side or Kuldeep Yadav if they expect a bit of turn.

With rain on the forecast, playing both Prasidh Krishna and Anshul Kamboj alongside Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah could be the move that wins them the Test. Having enough pace resources to cover both ends will likely go a long way in India being able to pick up 20 wickets, particularly in the first half of the Test, where the spinners aren't bound to be effective.

India haven't taken this road so far in the series, and that might be one of the reasons why they're 2-1 down. A change in approach could help them immensely in Manchester.

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Edited by Sai Krishna