Team India are set to rest their strike bowler and vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah for the fourth Test of the five-match series against England after taking 2-1 lead, as per reports. Bumrah, who returned from a long 11-month layoff owing to a back injury in August last year, has been carefully managed by the Indian cricket team since. Since World Cup 2023, Bumrah has been picked in just the Test matches for India whether it was for the South Africa series in December-January or now in the ongoing England assignment.
As per a Cricbuzz report, Bumrah, who was to be rested for the Rajkot Test, will now take a break next week during the Ranchi game as part of the workload management given there's an IPL and T20 World Cup to follow. The rest will mean nearly a 20-day break for Bumrah, before he returns for the series finale in Dharamsala, which kicks off on March 7. The return for the series finale will also depend on the result of the Ranchi Test.
In six innings in the series, Bumrah has bowled 8.3, 16.1, 15.5, 17.2, 15 and 8, a total of more than 80 overs in the last three weeks.
Bumrah is likely to be replaced by Mukesh Kumar or a fourth spinner, if the track is a rank turner. Mukesh, who was released from the squad during the third Test to play in Ranji Trophy, took 10 wickets for Bengal against Bihar in the match including a four-fer in the first innings, followed by a 6-wicket haul in the second.
Similarly, Mohammed Siraj was rested for the second Test as he has been playing regularly for India in the last few months.
India are 2-1 ahead in the series already following a massive 434-run victory against England in Rajkot and will be keen to seal the series in the fourth Test match in Ranchi. This will be only the third Test match to be played at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi. In two matches at the venue so far, India won one in 2019 against South Africa while the other was a draw in 2017 against Australia.
