The penultimate training session for Team India was intense as they prepared for the third Test match between England and India, which is set to begin on Thursday, February 15 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. Vice captain Jasprit Bumrah, who joined the team on Wednesday, February 14, missed the final training session, but the majority of the players showed up for all three net sessions in order to get ready for the match.
Notably, Bumrah decimated the England batting order in both innings, which was a major factor in India’s triumph in the second Test at Visakhapatnam. The speedster earned Player of the Match honors as well as his second-best match stats of his career (9/91).
But prior to the third Test, a few rumors stated that the seamer might be rested for the match. After Day 4 of the second test concluded on February 5, both teams had a significant nine days off to recover for the rest of the series.
Rajkot offers a level surface, so the squad will need Jasprit Bumrah’s assistance.
He is predicted to use his reverse swing in the middle overs to cause a collapse. The opinion of pundit Harsha Bhogle was that Bumrah ought to play in Rajkot and take a break before the fourth Test, which is scheduled to take place in Ranchi, a ground that has a reputation for being spin-friendly.
If India have to rest Bumrah, they must do so on a track where the other bowlers become more potent. On a good batting surface, his skills are impossible to replicate. Rajkot tends to be a good track and he will have rested for over a week. It might be a good idea to play him in…
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) February 8, 2024
But the fact that he didn’t practice a day before the match suggests that he might be rested for the third Test. Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj was selected by the selection committee for the final three Tests despite having been released from the first one for the second game in order to manage his workload.
Mark Wood joins England’s starting lineup.
When he was not there, Mukesh Kumar was unable to provide Bumrah with the necessary support, allowing him to score 70 runs in 12 overs over two innings while taking only one wicket. In addition, Bengal seamer Akash Deep was brought into the team for the final three Test matches, replacing Avesh Khan, who was released for the Ranji Trophy 2024.
The hosts may suffer if India decides to rest Bumrah in Rajkot because it is unlikely that the remaining seamers will be able to duplicate his brilliance on a dead surface. In the meantime, England has revealed its playing eleven a day before the match, and speedster Mark Wood has been added in lieu of spinner Shoaib Bashir. Since the series is tied 1-1, the outcome of the third Test might determine the direction of the series, and India won’t allow England to relax by resting Bumrah.
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