India lead England 2-1 in the five-match series ahead of this week's fourth Test and can retain the Anthony de Mello Trophy with a draw in Ranchi.
But, after each of the first three results were decided within four days, the chances of this match finishing in a stalemate look slim.
After their stunning comeback from an almost 200-run first-innings deficit in the first Test, England have been outplayed by India in the next two, amid renewed criticism of the tourists' ultra-positive batting style.
- Ravindra Jadeja Over 4.5 Total Match Wickets
- Ben Stokes - England Top 1st Inns Batter
- India Under 42.5 - Opening Partnership Total
Spinners Set To Profit In Bumrah’s Absence
The big team news from the India camp is that Jasprit Bumrah is being rested after the paceman sent down a combined 80.5 overs across the first three Tests.
Right-arm seamer Mukesh Kumar, who was dropped for the third Test in Rajkot, has rejoined the squad and he should be full of confidence after picking up a career-best match haul of 10-50 in a Ranji Trophy match.
But all the indications from Ranchi are that the pitch will be conducive to spin and probably from early on in the game.
The surface was already cracked two days before the Test, with England vice-captain Ollie Pope anticipating the ball would deviate more off the cracks if they open up.
The Indian spinners should be licking their lips at such a prospect, with Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav all set to feature again.
Left-arm leg-spinner Yadav and right-arm off-spinner Ashwin took four and two wickets apiece in Rajkot, but they were outperformed by man of the match Jadeja.
The slow left-armer returned figures of 7-91 in the match on his return after injury and is one of only two bowlers in the India line-up to have played a Test at the JSCA International Stadium Complex before.
RAVINDRA JADEJA OVER 4.5 TOTAL MATCH WICKETS
Stokes To Have His All-Round Say
England are expected to make a couple of changes to their line-up as wel, with Jimmy Anderson and Mark Wood both likely to be given a rest ahead of the final Test at Dharamshala, which should be a surface better suited to the pacemen.
The tourists will play three frontline spinners again, with offie Shoaib Bashir returning alongside leggie Rehan Ahmed and left-armer Tom Hartley, while Joe Root could also get more than just a few overs in too.
Ollie Robinson is expected to come in for his first match of the series to take the new ball, but skipper Ben Stokes also seems open to resuming his role as an all-rounder.
Stokes has not bowled a ball in Test cricket since the Ashes Test at Lord's last year due to ongoing rehabilitation of his knee following a procedure earlier this winter.
The skipper had stated he would not bowl in any of the matches on this tour, but clearly has enough confidence in his body to be able to contribute with the ball once again.
He is three wickets shy of becoming only the third man in Test cricket - after Jacques Kallis and Sir Garfield Sobers - to do the double of 6,000 runs and 200 wickets.
And it would hardly be surprising if Stokes was to have a major part to play with the bat again after knocks of 70, 47 and 41 in each of his three first innings so far in the series.
He was England's highest runscorer in the first innings at Hyderabad and second-highest in the first dig in both Visakhapatnam and Rajkot.
BEN STOKES ENGLAND’S TOP BATSMAN 1ST INNINGS
Indian Openers To Struggle
Both Indian openers have scored big runs in the series, but not yet at the same time.
Yashasvi Jaiswal made scores of 80 and 209 in the first innings of the first two Tests, while Rohit Sharma was out cheaply by his high standards.
The Indian skipper bounced back with 131 in the first innings at Rajkot, but Jaiswal surrendered his wicket for just 10 - meaning India have seen only one of their six opening stands get beyond 42 runs.
England have bowled quite tidily up front in this series and taken their chances in general, which suggests the home side's opening pair could be in for another uneven performance in the fourth Test.
INDIA UNDER 42.5 RUNS OPENING PARTNERSHIP
