Who will step in for Bumrah, the bowler who has taken almost one-third of India’s total wickets (60) in this series?
India is expected to give Jasprit Bumrah a break in the upcoming fourth Test match against England, scheduled to start on Friday in Ranchi. In the series that was expected to be dominated by the spinners, Bumrah leads the wicket-taking chart with 17 scalps at an impressive average of 13.65. Nine players were selected in the second Test match, marking his top performance on home ground, as India secured a comeback victory in Vizag before leading in Rajkot in the third Test.
Throughout the three games of the series, Bumrah has delivered 80.5 overs, the highest among Indian bowlers, and therefore deserves a rest in Ranchi, considering workload management. It does bring up the question of who could step in for Bumrah, the bowler responsible for almost a third of India’s total wickets (60) in this series.
India has stuck with a strategy of using two seamers and three spinners throughout the series. This tactic led to a 108-run victory in the second Test and a historic 434-run win in the third. If the team management continues with their strategy, either Akash or Mukesh could join Mohammed Siraj in forming the pace lineup in Ranchi. Mukesh was dropped from the Indian squad before the third Test following a subdued performance in Vizag, where he only managed to take 1 wicket for 70 runs. Nevertheless, the fast bowler achieved a career-best 10 for 50 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in Bengal’s final Ranji Trophy league game against Bihar. Based on that impressive performance, India could bring back Mukesh or take a daring step by giving Akash his first international cap. The Bengal fast bowler recently achieved an impressive feat by taking 11 wickets in two India A matches, with two four-wicket hauls.
India may consider changing their strategy by adding an additional spinner. Except for the third Test, India has not utilised a second seamer much, as Siraj only bowled 11 overs in the Hyderabad match, while Mukesh delivered 12 overs in the second Test. If Ranchi serves up a challenging pitch, India may consider including either Axar Patel or Washington Sundar in the playing XI to bolster the spin attack alongside Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav.
The Indian cricketer was absent for the second Test match of the series due to quadriceps pain and was unable to recover in time for the third Test. Nevertheless, the middle-order batsman is prepared to make a comeback for the game in Ranchi, as stated by the India captain. “He appears to be good,” Rohit Sharma mentioned on Sunday during the post-match press conference.
If Rahul comes back, Rajat Patidar, who didn’t make a significant impact in his initial two Tests, will need to step aside. The player, who started his career in Vizag, has managed to score just 46 runs in four innings, with one of them being a duck.
Source – Hindustan Times
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