The national selectors have been caught in two minds about including Jasprit Bumrah in the playing XI for the third Test in Rajkot.
It had initially been decided that Bumrah would be rested as part of workload management and, as a consequence, Mohammed Siraj was pulled out of the squad in Visakhapatnam to ensure his availability for the next Test.
Deliberations between the national selectors and the team management had
concluded that resting Bumrah in Rajkot would work in their favour since the wicket is generally not very conducive for the pacers.
The fast bowler’s presence would be vital in Ranchi and Dharamsala and he could reap rewards from the more favourable conditions there, while a fresh Siraj would take his place in the XI in Rajkot.
But over the last few days, there has been a re-evaluation of plans. Vice-captain Bumrah’s opinion has also been taken into consideration.
Sources told The Telegraph that captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid and chief selector Ajit Agarkar now feel resting Bumrah at this stage of the series, which is locked at 1-1, could result in sacrificing some of the psychological advantage gained through his devastating spell in the second Test.
Bumrah has made a huge impact on the minds of the English batters who have struggled to deal with his inswinging yorkers and reverse swing. However, managing his workload is also of huge significance, keeping in mind a packed international calendar and since he is coming back from a stress-fracture surgery of the back.
If Bumrah does play in Rajkot, he will have to be rested in Ranchi to keep him fresh for the final Test. The No.1-ranked bowler has already delivered close to 58 overs in the two Tests while picking 15 wickets at an average of 10.66.
A final decision on the issue will be taken when the Agarkar-led committee meets virtually to select the squad for the remaining matches.
The Telegraph has already reported that Virat Kohli is set to miss the entire series because of “personal reasons”, having already informed the selectors about his unavailability before the Tests got underway.
The good news is that KL Rahul is set to be cleared by the medical team at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for Rajkot and there’s a ray of hope about Ravindra Jadeja as well. The all-rounder’s inclusion will depend on a final assessment of his injured hamstring. It was learnt that he had shown significant improvement over the past few days.
Rahul and Jadeja had been India’s top run-scorers in the first Test in Hyderabad and their return would strengthen the wobbly middle-order.
It is possible that the selectors decided to delay the meeting to Friday to get further updates on the fitness status of the players. The NCA’s report will be tabled before the selectors. The third Test begins on February 15.
