3 Indian players who will be under pressure to perform in the 4th Test against England

The Indian cricket team suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the England side in the third Test match at Headingley. Virat Kohli and his men were walloped by an innings and 76 runs, as England drew level in the five-match Test series.

Surely, the Indian players need to pull up their socks when they take the field in the 4th Test match against the England side that will begin on 2nd September 2021 at the Kennington Oval in London.

And, there are a few Indian players who will be under pressure to perform in the 4th rubber against Joe Root and his men. In this article, let us take a look at three such players.

3. Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja has endured a forgettable run with both bat and ball in the five-match Test series against England thus far. In the 5 innings that he has batted in this series, Jadeja has scored 133 runs at an underwhelming average of 26.60. Also, the left-hander has been dismissed for two single-digit scores as well.

With the ball, Jadeja’s performance has been extremely poor. The left-arm spinner has managed to scalp just 2 wickets in all the 3 Test matches put together and averages 93.00 with the red cherry in hand in the series thus far.

Surely, Jadeja will need to pull up his socks and will be under scrutiny to contribute for the Indian side with both bat and ball in the 4th Test match against England.

2. Ajinkya Rahane

Indian vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will be under pressure to get some runs with the willow when he takes guard in the 4th Test match against England. In the 5 innings that he has batted in this series, the right-handed batting veteran has managed to score just 95 runs, at a poor average of 19.00.

Also, in 4 out of the 5 innings that he has batted in the series, the 33-year-old has not even crossed the 20-run mark. And, in both innings of the third Test, Rahane was undone by a delivery that pitched just outside the off stump, and he ended up nicking the red cherry behind the stumps to Jos Buttler.

Also, in the 17 innings that he has played this year, Rahane has scored just 358 runs at an average of just above 20 (21.06). Surely, Rahane is going through a lean patch and needs a big score against his name in the all-important 4th Test match against Joe Root and his men.

1. Rishabh Pant

Swashbuckling Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been found wanting in swinging and seaming conditions in England. In the 5 innings that he has wielded the willow in the Test series against England, the 23-year-old has scored just 87 runs at an average of 17.40.

In the third Test at Headingley, Pant scored a grand total of just 3 runs in both innings put together and has failed to cross the 30-run mark in 4 out of the 5 times that he has batted in the Test series against England thus far.

Pant played a reckless shot to a wide delivery outside off stump off the bowling of Ollie Robinson in the first innings of the third Test and edged the ball to Jos Buttler. In the second innings too, Robinson was the man who got rid of Pant, and again it was the outside off-stump channel that troubled the 23-year-old Indian batsman.

Pant edged the red cherry straight into the hands of Craig Overton at third slip in the second innings and departed for just 1 run. There is no doubt about Pant’s ability with the willow, but the left-hander has failed to set the stage abuzz with the bat in hand. And, Pant would need to step up and score runs in the 4th Test match, as time is slowly running out for him.