India will most likely be missing ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah for the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which begins on Thursday at The Oval. The BCCI medical experts urged Bumrah to rest, focussing on his long-term fitness and workload issues. Akash Deep, who missed the fourth Test with a groin injury, is set to replace Bumrah in the playing XI.
Jasprit Bumrah’s withdrawal from the last Test was not a last-minute decision.
According to earlier arrangements made by team management, selectors, and Bumrah himself, the speedster was only expected to play three of the five Tests on the England tour. He played in the first, third, and fourth Tests, but sat out the second. Despite his strong run as the joint-second-highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps, worries about a recurrent back issue prompted the decision to rest him for the series finale.
During the Manchester Test, the 31-year-old bowled 33 overs, the highest in a single innings in his career, and conceded more than 100 runs for the first time. Notably, his pace fell throughout the series, with balls measured at above 140 km/h dropping from 42.7% at Headingley to only 0.5% at Old Trafford.
Akash Deep recovers completely from groin injury.
With Bumrah out, Akash Deep is the front-runner to return. The Bengal seamer had a sensational second Test at Edgbaston, taking ten wickets, including a superb six for 99 in England’s second innings. Despite a less effective performance at Lord’s, the conditions at The Oval, which have traditionally favoured seamers, may suit his bowling style.
After fully recovering from the groin injury that held him out of Manchester, Akash impressed during India’s practice session at The Oval. Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj, who has played all four Tests, is poised to spearhead the pace unit once more. Though his workload has been significant, with the fourth-most overs bowled by any seamer in the series (139), assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak noted that Siraj’s weekly load is within guidelines, as measured by GPS monitoring.
Meanwhile, India faces a selection call for the third seamer, with alternatives including Prasidh Krishna, who hasn’t played since the second Test, and Arshdeep Singh, who has recovered from a hand injury. Shardul Thakur may also preserve his place as batting depth, especially with Rishabh Pant sidelined and Dhruv Jurel keeping wickets.
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