Shubman Gill, captain of the Indian cricket team, admitted that he was left “actually confused” after losing his fourth consecutive toss in the ongoing Test series against England. At the toss, Ben Stokes called correctly once again and opted to bowl first under overcast skies in Manchester. However, despite the string of losses at the toss, Gill remained optimistic about India’s chances.

“I was actually confused. Good toss to lose. The way we've played in the last three Tests has been outstanding. Some crunch moments we've lost, but we've won more sessions than them.

Reflecting on the intense nature of the series so far, Gill added, “You need a bit of a break. All three Tests were intense. Looks like a good surface. Nice and hard. There's some forecast around for the four-five days.”

India made three changes for the Manchester Test, with Gill confirming, “Sai Sudharsan comes in place of Karun. Kamboj and Shardul are in as well for Akash Deep and Reddy who are injured.”

No team has ever chosen to bowl first at Emirates Old Trafford and gone on to win a Test match. But England captain Ben Stokes believes that his team can defy that trend. “There’s pretty decent overhead conditions for bowling,” he explained at the toss. “It’s a typical Manchester wicket: quite firm, a little bit of grass coverage. Hopefully, we can make use of it this morning,” he said.

As both teams brace for a crucial encounter, all eyes remain on how much of a factor luck—and overhead conditions—will play.

India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer