BUMRAH HAS NOT YET LINKED UP WITH THE INDIAN TEAM IN RAJKOT
WILL INDIA OPT FOR AN ADDITIONAL BATSMAN INSTEAD OF A FIFTH BOWLER?
As the Indian team sweated it out at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) Stadium in Rajkot on Tuesday afternoon, one player was noticeably absent.
Jasprit Bumrah was conspicuously missing from practice, and according to sources, he has yet to arrive in Rajkot, the venue for the third Test against England.
Sources within the SCA and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suggest that India’s pace ace will join his teammates, who have been in camp since February 11, on Tuesday night.
He is expected to participate in the practice session on Wednesday, the eve of the Test match.
As recently reported by Cricpulse, Bumrah was initially slated to be rested for the game as part of the team think tank’s workload management, but this decision was later reversed.
Whether he will be rested in subsequent matches in the series remains uncertain and is contingent upon the player’s condition.
While he may potentially be given a break for the fourth Test in Ranchi, no definitive decision has been made.
As usual, Bumrah is expected to spearhead the bowling attack against England in Rajkot, though the Indian team management is still deliberating whether to opt for a four-bowler or five-pronged attack.
Thus far in the series, India has gone in with a five-bowler strategy, with the second pacer-Mohammed Siraj in Hyderabad and Mukesh Kumar in Visakhapatnam – seeing limited involvement.
There is consideration to include an extra batsman, particularly given the inexperience in the batting lineup in the absence of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, especially in conditions that favor the bowlers.
England, on the other hand, have opted for only four bowlers in both Tests so far.
“That is definitely an option, but it’s not yet finalized,” stated a source.
“It’s up to skipper Rohit Sharma.”
The Rajkot pitch, traditionally known as a patta, is expected to be a slow turner.
It appeared slightly green on Tuesday morning, but by afternoon, it had turned brownish with the black soil beneath expected to aid both bowlers and batsmen.
When asked about the pitch, England batsman Ollie Pope said, “At the minute, it looks like a pretty good pitch.
It appears slightly more grassy than the pitches before, but we always wait until we see the India team inspect the pitch and then see if they want to put some more water on it or shave the grass off.”
The grass seems to be disappearing rapidly.
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