In the India vs England Test, Pacer Jasprit Bumrah won’t play the fourth Test starting from February 23rd in Ranchi. He’s taking a break as part of India’s plan to manage player workload. Bumrah, who’s currently the leading wicket-taker in the series with 17 wickets at an average of 13.64, didn’t travel to Ranchi from Rajkot on Tuesday. It’s uncertain if he’ll play the fifth and final Test.
This decision aligns with India’s strategy to ensure players stay fresh and avoid injuries. Mohammed Siraj also got a rest during the second Test in Visakhapatnam following the same policy.
In another development, KL Rahul will miss the fourth Test due to injury. His availability for the final game depends on his recovery.
Mukesh Kumar, who was released for the third Test to play for his Ranji team Bengal, is expected to rejoin the squad.
Currently, India leads the five-match series 2-1. After England won the first Test, India bounced back with victories in the second and third Tests.
India holds the second position in the World Test Championship Standings with a percentage of 59.52%, while England is eighth with 21.87%.
The India squad for the fourth Test includes Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Devdutt Padikkal, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, and Akash Deep.