Following a 22-run loss in the Lord’s Test, Team India aims to make a comeback and would be confident enough after undergoing an eight-day extended break.
The battle between England and India is ready to kickstart in the fourth out of the 5-match test series at Old Trafford in Manchester.
Currently, the Ben-Stokes-led side is leading the Anderson Tendulkar Trophy 2025 with a 2-1 scoreline. But, the visitors under Shubman Gill’s captaincy will hope that even a slightly enhanced performance will help them level the contest at 2-2 and carry forward their hopes of winning the series against the hosts till the fifth test.
So far, the series featured two flat pitches (at Headingley and Edgbaston) and a traditional English surface at the Lord’s. But, what do the tracks at Old Trafford have to offer in the forthcoming clash?
With a few hours left for the highly anticipated clash, let’s discuss key stats such as the pitch report and toss impact, as well as analyze if the pace or spin bowling attack is stronger at this venue.
Old Trafford Stadium Pitch Report for ENG vs IND 4th Test 2025
Over the past few years, the flat pitches at Old Trafford have become extremely slow, thereby favoring the bowling sides. While pacers dominate with the new ball, spinners come into action as the game progresses.
Toss Impact at the Old Trafford Stadium
The first batting teams have won both the tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s in the ongoing series, but what about Old Trafford? England will certainly decide to field first after winning the toss due to these main reasons:
- Cloudy conditions on Day 01 (as per the latest weather forecast reports from various sources).
- Since the 2019 Ashes, the teams that batted first and second have won 3 games each out of 7 occasions, which includes a draw outcome as well. Here is a detailed list of those test matches at this time illustrated in tabular form (2019 to 2025):
| Year | Match | Winning Team (Batting First / Second) | Winner | Winning Margin |
| 2019 | England vs Australia | First Batting | Australia | 185 Runs |
| 2020 | England vs West Indies | First Batting | England | 113 Runs |
| 2020 | England vs West Indies | First Batting | England | 269 Runs |
| 2020 | England vs Pakistan | Second Batting | England | 3 Wickets |
| 2023 | England vs South Africa | Second Batting | England | Innings and 85 Runs |
| 2023 | England vs Australia | – | DRAW | – |
| 2024 | England vs Sri Lanka | Second Batting | England | 5 Wickets |
- A good track record in tests while bowling first at this venue.
- Day 2 is favorable for batters, particularly while batting second. This is because batting on Day 05 becomes extremely tough. Here is a day-wise batting average in tests at Old Trafford since 2019:
- First Day: 34.40
- Second Day: 37.40
- Third Day: 26.60
- Fourth Day: 27.60
- Fifth Day: 20.80
Also, the Indian skipper Shubman Gill will be keen to bat second after winning the toss to enhance his team’s chances of winning the fourth test.
Pace vs Spin Bowling Attack at Old Trafford Test
Old Trafford has been the second worst for spinners after Edgbaston, having averaged above 50 in tests at this venue. However, pacers have managed to deliver a decent performance in Manchester compared to the spinners.
Here is a detailed comparison of the pace and spin bowling average in tests at this venue since 2022:
| Venue | Spinners’ Bowling Average in Tests (Since 2022) | Number of Balls Taken Per Dismissal (Approx Count) | Pacers Bowling Average in Tests (Since 2022) | Number of Balls Taken Per Dismissal (Approx Count) |
| Edgbaston | 55.40 | 80 to 85 | 32.2 | 50 to 55 |
| Old Trafford | 51.30 | 90 to 95 | 29.0 | 45 to 50 |
| Headingley | 44.90 | 70 to 75 | 31.0 | 50 to 55 |
| Lord’s | 37.60 | 65 to 70 | 26.0 | 45 to 50 |
| Trent Bridge | 35.20 | 50 to 55 | 39.0 | 55 to 60 |
| Kennington Oval | 25.00 | 40 to 45 | 29.2 | 45 to 50 |
So, India’s experienced full-time spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s return to playing XI won’t bolster his team’s winning chances.
Key Stats: England Batters and Bowlers Performance in Tests at Old Trafford
The following table provides a clear understanding of the performances of current players in England squads at Old Trafford tests (in terms of batting and bowling):
England’s Best Batters in Tests at Old Trafford:
| Batter | Innings | Runs | Average | Centuries |
| Joe Root | 19 | 978 | 65.20 | 1 |
| Ben Stokes | 12 | 579 | 52.64 | 2 |
| Zak Crawley | 4 | 238 | 59.50 | 1 |
| Ollie Pope | 8 | 214 | 30.57 | 0 |
| Jamie Smith | 2 | 150 | 75.00 | 1 |
| Harry Brook | 3 | 149 | 49.67 | 0 |
| Ben Duckett | 3 | 30 | 10.00 | 0 |
England’s Best Bowlers in Tests at Old Trafford:
| Bowler | Test Innings (At Old Trafford) | Wickets | Average |
| Chris Woakes | 14 | 35 | 17.40 |
| Ben Stokes | 14 | 11 | 27.50 |
| Joe Root | 20 | 4 | 40.30 |
| Jofra Archer | 6 | 8 | 40.50 |
NOTE: Ravindra Jadeja is the only existing Indian player who will once again represent his team in tests at Old Trafford since 2014. However, he hasn’t made a notable impact at this venue in the past in either batting or bowling.
India’s Winless Record in Tests at Old Trafford: A Big Concern?
Shockingly, Team India are yet to secure their first test victory at Old Trafford, out of 9 attempts since 1936, which includes 4 losses (in 1952, 1959, 1974, and 2014) and 5 draws (in 1936, 1946, 1971, 1982, and 1990).
However, it would be too early to determine the visitors’ fate as they have played their last test at this venue back in 2014 under MS Dhoni’s captaincy. Moreover, Shubman Gill and his men ended their 58-year drought in tests at Edgbaston a few weeks back. Hopefully, the Indians might repeat the heroic performances for the next five days like they did in Birmingham.