India vs England 4th Test, Day 1 Weather Forecast: Rain may dampen opening day at The Oval

India and England will begin the 4th Test at The Oval on London from Thursday (September 2). (Source: Twitter)

Virat Kohli’s Team India will looked to bounce back from an innings defeat at the hands of hosts England at the Headingley in Leeds, when the two sides face off at The Oval in London from Thursday (September 2). The weather forecast for the opening day of the fourth Test once against looks gloomy with a 62 per cent cloud cover predicted for opening day of the Test match.

The MET department of London also predicts a ‘cloudy start’ to Thursday. “Cloudy start, but also a few brighter spells, most likely in the south. Cloud thinning more readily than on Wednesday, with warm sunny spells developing by the afternoon. It will be breezy at times, particularly along the coast. The maximum temperature 21 °C,” the Met department predicted.

The first Test between India and England at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham was affected by rain with the final day getting completely washed out. The opening day of the Lord’s Test was also affected by rain and saw a delated toss and start to the first session.

It remains to be seen if rain will once again make an appearance at London, but this time at The Oval. The five-match Test series is level at 1-1 with Joe Root’s England winning the third Test at Leeds.

Meanwhile, wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik feels the time is ripe for Ravichandran Ashwin to play his first match of the ongoing five-Test series between India and England. India have gone with four pacers and a specialist spinner in Ravindra Jadeja so far in the series but that could change in the fourth Test beginning here on Thursday.

“I believe the time is ripe for Ravichandran Ashwin to make his first appearance of the series. Traditionally, The Oval has thrown up some of the flattest pitches in England, and it has been no different this season. Three of Surrey’s five matches at home in the County Championship have ended indecisively, and ten hundreds have been registered in those games,” Karthik wrote in ‘The Telegraph’.

Karthik feels Ashwin’s versatility will help India at The Oval. “If I was Virat Kohli, I'd like to bring a new dimension into play in this crucial Test. As Ashwin has shown in his storied career, he hasn’t necessarily relied on assistance from the surface to make an impact. England have two left-handers in their top three and three in the top seven.

“The off-spinner's record against lefties is second to none, and he is more than handy against the right-handers, who he tests with the knuckle ball and the floater that he has mastered through hours of diligent practice away from the harsh spotlight of the international game.”