England vs India 4th Test: Curran, Ali return as hosts announce playing XI

Hosts England have recalled all-rounders Sam Curran and Moeen Ali for the fourth Test match against India at the Rose Bowl in Southampton , starting from Thursday. Curran has been called up in place of the injured Woakes after making a place for Ben Stokes in the third Test, while Ali is set to make his first appearance in the five-match Test series which the hosts lead 2-1.

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Meanwhile, wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow, who suffered a broken finger in the third Test at Trent Bridge will not don the keeping gloves as Jos Buttler has been confirmed to take over the keeping duties from him.

"Jos Buttler is going to keep. It's a lot to ask Jonny to do it with a broken finger, he's fit to bat. We have to do the best thing for this team to win the game. There are no guarantees in international sport,” skipper Joe Root said.

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"Chris Woakes is not fit to play this week and Ben Stokes has a slight issue so for the balance of the side Moeen Ali comes in for Ollie Pope," Root added.

"We've bounced back from difficult defeats before and that's the challenge for us to do it again here."

England won the first two Test but the Virat Kohli-led Indian side got the victory in the third Test to bounce back in the series.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya who was criticised for not being consistent in the red-ball cricket answered his critics with a splendid five-wicket haul in the first Test to dismantle the English batting line-up before Jasprit Bumrah took a fifer to seal the deal for India in the second innings.

England Playing XI for the fourth Test in Southampton: Cook, Jennings, Root (c), Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler (w), Moeen Ali, Curran, Rashid, Broad, Anderson