Rain, risk & a shot at redemption await Shubman Gill's XI at Old Trafford
IND vs ENG, 4th Test: Gill & Co Face A Must-Win At Old Trafford | Karan Pradhan breaks down India’s must-win scenario, England’s Old Trafford dominance, and the weather’s potential role in the fourth Test.
| AFTER A BRIEF SOJOURN down to London, Test cricket returns to the North — Manchester’s Old Trafford, to be precise. Having let slip the third Test by a hair’s breadth (or 22 measly runs to be precise), India faces a must-win situation. After all, a draw or a defeat will ensure that England retains the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. But it isn’t just Ben Stokes and Co that the visiting team must overcome; it’s also the weather conditions. The forecast, or as it stands at the time of writing anyway, isn’t great. According to Accuweather , the first, second and fifth day of the Test will see some rain, with the third and fourth days set to provide drier spells. How will this play into Team India’s planning? We’ll get into it shortly. For now, the hosts welcome spinning allrounder Liam Dawson to the red-ball format for the first time in eight years. He replaces Shoaib Bashir, who, as readers may recall, broke a finger but returned valiantly to the field to dismiss Mohammed Siraj and win England the third Test. While that seems to be the only change to the England XI, the circumstances in the away camp are a bit more complicated. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh will be missing out due to injury and Haryana (and Chennai Super Kings) allrounder Anshul Kamboj has been named as cover. Whether it’s he or Kuldeep Yadav who takes the final vacant berth in the Indian XI remains to be seen. Elsewhere, there’s been word that Dhruv Jurel might essay the role of wicketkeeper and Rishabh Pant could play as a batter in case the latter has yet to shake off his finger injury. An extra batter will mean one less bowler, and it seems unlikely India will want to take that risk. And the third key selection-related dilemma is whether the ‘Karun Nair at No 3’ experiment persists or whether his inability to kick on from solid starts will see Sai Sudharsan return to the fold. Only time will tell. Continue reading. | | | Su From So: Much Laughter & Lots To Think About, In This Raj B Shetty Production | Director JP Thuminad creates a world that’s deeply immersive, and in a film that’s high on humour, he nudges you to be better, writes Subha J Rao .
| THERE’S A PASSING SCENE in JP Thuminad’s hilarious yet thoughtful Su From So (releasing on July 25), which explains why the film lands the way it does. The villagers need to head somewhere and a convoy departs — it is led by two scooters, followed by two autos and cycles. Even in that not-so-important scene that barely lasts seconds, the film does not veer off its inherent spirit. These vehicles are ‘enough’ to serve the story. This is one of the many reasons why the film, which falls somewhere between a thought-provoking movie and a horror comedy, keeps you engrossed through its runtime that’s a little over two hours. Psst! These Are The Best New Kannada OTT Releases To Add To Your Watchlist Leading the pack is Ravi anna (a fabulous Shaneel Gautham), the ubiquitous brother-figure in any place who is the one person everyone looks up to, who carries a reputation that sees him receive deep adoration, respect, and some jealousy, especially from a retired banker. He’s the one who will settle disputes; listen keenly with his ear to the door, and tell a grieving family when the deceased elders have partaken of the ceremonial offering; arrange for a person to help chase away spirits that have found a new home… His entourage comprises Chandra (Prakash K Thuminadu) and Sathish (Deepak Rai Panaje). And Shaneel does all of this with a certain amount of bashfulness and a hint of bravado. I really wonder how he approached the role, which is technically not a character with nuance, but he lends it so much life, you become Team Ravi Anna. | | | Like what you read? Get more of what you like. Visit the OTTplay website or download the app to stay up-to-date with news, recommendations and special offers on streaming content. Plus: always get the latest reviews. Sign up for our newsletters. Already a subscriber? Forward this email to a friend, or use the share buttons below ⬇️ | | | This weekly newsletter compiles a list of the latest (and most important) reviews from OTTplay so you can figure what to watch or ditch over the weekend ahead. | | Each week, our editors pick one long-form, writerly piece that they think it worthy of your attention, and dice it into easily digestible bits for you to mull over. | | In which we invite a scholar of cinema, devotee of the moving image, to write a prose poem dedicated to their poison of choice. Expect to spend an
hour on this. | | | Hindustan Media Ventures Limited,
Hindustan Times House, 18-20,
Second Floor, Kasturba Gandhi
Marg, New Delhi - 110 001, India | DOWNLOAD THE OTTPLAY APP ⬇️ | | | If you need any guidance or support along the way, please send an email to ottplay@htmedialabs.com . We’re here to help! | ©️2025 OTTplay, HT Media Labs. All rights reserved. | | | |
