India v England Fourth Test predictions and cricket betting tips

Where to watch India v England

TNT Sports 1, 4am Friday

Best bets

Rohit Sharma top India first-innings runscorer
1pt 15-4 bet365

Sarfaraz Khan to score over 27.5 first-innings runs
4pts 5-6 Coral, Ladbrokes

India v England predictions

England started their five-match Test series in India with one of the greatest victories in their history but the hosts have bounced back impressively to take a 2-1 lead into Friday's fourth Test in Ranchi.

India's ruthlessness with the bat proved decisive in last week's match in Rajkot, where England lost by 434 runs – their heaviest defeat in terms of runs since 1934.

It was a remarkable result given that England had started the third day on 207-2 in reply to India's first-innings total of 445.

A combination of good bowling and rash shots meant the tourists lost their last eight wickets for just 95 runs before Yashasvi Jaiswal's devastating innings of 214 not out set England an unlikely victory target of 557.

Jaiswal struck a record-equalling 12 sixes while Shubman Gill (91) and debutant Sarfaraz Khan (68 not out) also feasted on some weary England bowling before India's spinners skittled them for 122 in the fourth innings.

Publicly, at least, captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum will not be dwelling on any negative aspects of the Rajkot rout.

England are capable of stirring fightbacks, coming from 2-0 down in last summer's Ashes series when a final-day washout at Old Trafford probably denied them a 3-2 victory.

However, there must be concerns over the batting unit's failure to build on the strong starts provided by openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett with senior players Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow looking particularly ill at ease. 

England reached 114-1 and 95-1 in their two innings in Visakhapatnam, the venue for the second Test, but were bowled out for 253 and 292, failing to exert pressure on an inexperienced India side who have rested Jasprit Bumrah, the leading wicket-taker in the series, for the fourth game.

The hosts, already missing key batsman Virat Kohli and fast bowler Mohammed Shami, have used 16 different players in the first three matches and only five of those have more than 25 Test caps.

One of the Indian rookies, Jaiswal, has been sensational with the bat, scoring 545 runs in six innings, but his opening partner Rohit Sharma set the tone in Rajkot with his first-innings 131.

The India skipper had a lean start to the series but can kick on by top-scoring in Ranchi, where he made a career-best 212 against South Africa in October 2019.

There have been four centuries and two double-centuries scored in the two Tests held in Ranchi so England's bowlers could be set for another chastening match.

India's Sarfaraz sparkled on his Test debut last week, scoring 62 and 68 not out in a manner befitting a batsman with the astonishing first-class average of 70.91.

He scored 161 against England Lions in Ahmedabad last month and should be backed to clear a first-innings runs line of 27.5.

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