Lead India pacer Jasprit Bumrah is likely to be rested, while batter K L Rahul is expected to come back after recovering from a quadriceps injury, in the fourth Test against England beginning Feb. 23 in Ranchi. Bumrah is the leading wicket-taker in the five-match series with 17 scalps and single handedly bowled India to victory in the second Test. The hosts lead 2-1 in the five-match rubber.
“The team will travel to Ranchi tomorrow [today] and Bumrah is likely to be given rest,” said a BCCI source while also informing that Rahul is nearing full fitness and should be a part of the squad in Ranchi. The decision to rest Bumrah doesn’t come as a surprise considering he bowled 80.5 overs in the first three Tests.
As part of workload management, India had also rested Mohammed Siraj from the second Test in Visakhapatnam before he returned to play a part in India’s record 434 ren win 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 Dharmsala beginning March, 7.
Rahul, who missed the second and third Test after complaining of pain in his right quadriceps, had reached 90 percent fitness last week, according to an insider. “He is reaching his match fitness and should be available for Ranchi Test,” the source added.
Rahul was among India’s best batters in the opening Test in Hyderabad before going down with the same injury that he suffered during the IPL last year. Since his comeback after four months on the sidelines, the batter has delivered for India across formats.
He was the only centurion for India in the drawn two-Test series in South Africa in December.