Manchester, July 23 -- England Test captain Ben Stokes won the fourth consecutive toss and opted to bowl against India in the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday.

India, trailing by 1-2, needs to conjure a win to keep the series alive. A defeat would mark the beginning of captain Shubman Gill's era. On the other hand, England, who stood triumphant with a 22-run victory at Lord's, will look to take confidence from their past exploits and take an unassailable lead in the series.

Injuries have plagued the Indian camp, with Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep ruled out of the fourth Test due to injuries. Young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remainder of he series, owing to a left knee injury.

Anshul K...