England vs India fourth Test Preview – CopyBet

Tip 1: The hosts chased down 371 to win the first Test at Headingley before suffering a 336-run defeat to an India side who rested star paceman Jasprit Bumrah at Edgbaston.

The tourists needed only 193 for victory at Lord's last time out but collapsed from 41-1 to 82-7 after an inspired bowling performance from Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and captain Ben Stokes.

England have won 14 of their last 18 Test matches at Old Trafford and their only defeat came against Ashes rivals Australia in 2019.

The Aussies were saved by the rain in their 2023 draw in Manchester but India, missing the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh, may struggle to halt the hosts this week.

Tip 2: India opener KL Rahul was unfortunate to finish on the losing side at Lord's, where he top-scored with 100 in the first innings.

Rahul's dismissal for 39, pinned lbw by Stokes, was a crucial moment on the final day as he had batted serenely while wickets were tumbling at the other end.

The opener relishes trips to England, where he has scored four of his ten Test hundreds including a second-innings 137 in the first Test at Headingley.

Rahul also made a half-century second time around at Edgbaston, having scored 116 and 51 in June's tour game against England Lions, and he may well lead from the front at Old Trafford.

Tip 3: England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith warmed up for the Test series against India by hitting five sixes in last month's T20 victory over the West Indies at the Rose Bowl.

Despite the change of format, Smith continues to bat in a similar vein and he is a tempting bet to hit the most match sixes in the fourth Test.

The Surrey man sealed England's run-chase at Headingley with a couple of huge maximums off the spin of Ravindra Jadeja.

Smith's innings of 184 not out and 88 at Edgbaston featured four sixes apiece and India's Rishabh Pant, his main market rival, has been struggling with a finger injury.