Manchester
India captain Shubman Gill said it would be a big deal for the team if fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah plays the series-deciding fifth Test, even though the team’s original plan was to limit him to three matches.
Bumrah, who was under pressure earlier in the year, was initially scheduled to play only three Tests in the long England tour to manage his workload and avoid further injuries. He missed the second Test at Edgbaston but played the remaining three.
With England leading the series 2-1 after the draw in Manchester, India will need to win at The Oval to level the five-match series.
“If he feels he is fully fit and available for us, I think it would be a big deal for us,” Gill told BBC’s ‘Test Match Special’.
“Even if he is not playing, I think we have the right kind of bowling attack,” Gill added.
Bumrah bowled 33 overs in the fourth Test at Old Trafford and has about four and a half days to recover for the final match, starting on July 31. He has bowled 119.4 overs in five innings in the three Test matches so far, which works out to about 24 overs per innings.
However, he is India’s joint-highest wicket-taker in the series with 14 wickets (along with Mohammed Siraj), including two five-wicket hauls in the three matches, so the team may consider bringing him back for the final match.
Former England captain Alastair Cook believes Gill has made the right tactical decision by not announcing whether Bumrah will play the fifth and final Test of the series or not.
Even if he is not going to play, you don’t tell people now, just on a purely tactical basis,’ Cook said.
“They made a mistake by announcing the strategy at the beginning of the series that he can only play three, because you get stuck in a situation where the series is still in jeopardy.
“If he is not fit to play, not playing is the right decision,” he added.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that all the fast bowlers are available for selection ahead of the Oval Test and did not rule out the possibility of Bumrah playing the fourth match. “All the fast bowlers are there. There is no risk of injury,” Gambhir insisted on Sunday.
“There has been no discussion with us about the combination for the last Test. “No decision has been taken on whether Jasprit Bumrah will play or not. Ultimately, whoever plays, he will try to play for the country,” he added.
After the Lord’s Test, India faced several setbacks, with Arshdeep Singh suffering a knock while bowling, Akash Deep injured, and Mohammed Siraj suffering from general fatigue. All-rounder Nitesh Kumar Reddy was also ruled out of the series. As a result, India had to call in stronger players from home. Anshul Kamboj joined the team and was given a chance in selection before Pradish Krishna was named in the playing XI.
