NEW DELHI: The Indian team will be without the services of injured keeper-batter KL Rahul, yet again, in the upcoming fourth Test against England in Ranchi.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has also been released from the squad ahead of the Test, which starts from February 23.
While Rahul has not been able to recover from his right quadriceps injury, the decision to rest Bumrah was taken as a part of his workload management.
Rahul’s participation in the fifth and final Test match in Dharamsala is also subject to fitness.
The decision to rest Bumrah was expected, considering he bowled 80.5 overs in the first three Tests. Bumrah is the leading wicket-taker in the Test series with 17 scalps from three matches and he singlehandedly bowled India to victory in the second Test in Visakhapatnam.
As part of workload management, India had also earlier rested Mohammed Siraj from the second Test before he returned to play a part in India’s record 434-run win over the visitors in Rajkot on Sunday.
India are well-placed to seal the series in Ranchi but if they are not able to, the home team will desperately need the services of Bumrah for the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala beginning March 7.
Rahul was among India’s best batters in the opening Test in Hyderabad before going down with the same injury that he suffered during last year’s IPL.
He was the only centurion for India in the drawn two-match Test series in South Africa in December.
Pacer Mukesh Kumar, who was released from the squad for the third Test in Rajkot to play Ranji game for Bengal, has joined the squad in Ranchi.
India’s updated squad for the 4th Test:Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has also been released from the squad ahead of the Test, which starts from February 23.
While Rahul has not been able to recover from his right quadriceps injury, the decision to rest Bumrah was taken as a part of his workload management.
Rahul’s participation in the fifth and final Test match in Dharamsala is also subject to fitness.
The decision to rest Bumrah was expected, considering he bowled 80.5 overs in the first three Tests. Bumrah is the leading wicket-taker in the Test series with 17 scalps from three matches and he singlehandedly bowled India to victory in the second Test in Visakhapatnam.
As part of workload management, India had also earlier rested Mohammed Siraj from the second Test before he returned to play a part in India’s record 434-run win over the visitors in Rajkot on Sunday.
India are well-placed to seal the series in Ranchi but if they are not able to, the home team will desperately need the services of Bumrah for the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala beginning March 7.
Rahul was among India’s best batters in the opening Test in Hyderabad before going down with the same injury that he suffered during last year’s IPL.
He was the only centurion for India in the drawn two-match Test series in South Africa in December.
Pacer Mukesh Kumar, who was released from the squad for the third Test in Rajkot to play Ranji game for Bengal, has joined the squad in Ranchi.
India’s updated squad for the 4th Test:Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.