IND vs ENG: India suffer big blow as pacer suffers Hand Injury in Practice

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India's preparations for the penultimate Test of the five-match series against England have been rocked by an untimely injury to a player.

The setback adds to the growing uncertainty around the team's pace attack, with questions still looming over Jasprit Bumrah's availability.

India currently trail the series 2-1 after falling short by 22 runs in a dramatic finish at Lord's. Chasing a target of 193 in the third Test, the visitors collapsed under pressure despite a valiant rear-guard effort from Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj. The side was eventually bowled out for 170, allowing England to reclaim the momentum.

With India needing victories in both remaining matches to seal the series, Arshdeep Singh suffered a hand injury in training. The pacer was strongly tipped to make his Test debut in Manchester but now faces a race against time to prove his fitness.

India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed the injury occurred during a training session and shed light on the incident.

"He took a ball while he was bowling there. So he hit a ball, and he tried to stop it and it's just a cut. So we have to see how bad the cut is. Obviously, the medical team have taken him off to see a doctor and obviously, if he needs stitches or does he not, that will be important to our planning for the next few days," ten Doeschate stated.

Arshdeep's potential unavailability could leave India with a depleted pace battery, especially with Bumrah operating under a workload management plan. The speedster delivered a stellar performance at Lord's, claiming seven wickets, but his participation in the fourth Test is still not guaranteed.

"No, we'll make that call in Manchester still. We know we've got him for one of the last two Tests. I think it's pretty obvious the series is on the line now in Manchester, so there will be a leaning towards playing him," ten Doeschate added.

The pressure is mounting on the Indian camp as they prepare for a must-win game in Manchester. With a fragile batting order and an unsettled bowling combination, the team now faces critical decisions in both selection and strategy heading into the fourth Test.