India have not ruled out Bumrah for the final test, coach says
FILE PHOTO: Cricket - International Test Match Series - Fourth Test - England v India - Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, Britain - July 26, 2025 India's Jasprit Bumrah looks on Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes/File Photo
MANCHESTER, England - India head coach Gautam Gambhir said they had not ruled out playing pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the final test against England at the Oval this week as they look to avoid a series defeat.
Bumrah has already played three tests in the series, the maximum workload team management had targeted for the bowler after he spent three months on the sidelines with a back injury before returning to action in April.
India snatched an unlikely draw in the fourth test at Old Trafford on Sunday but trail the hosts 2-1 in the five-match series.
"We haven't had any conversation around the combination for the last test," Gambhir said.
"No decision has been made on whether Jasprit Bumrah will play or not. Ultimately, whoever plays, they will try and do the job for the country."
India captain Shubman Gill suggested it might be left up to Bumrah to make the call.
"If he feels like he's fully fit and available for us, I think it would be a great deal for us," Gill told the BBC.
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India went into the fourth test with a depleted bowling attack having rested the injured pace duo of Akash Deep (groin) and Arshdeep Singh (hand).
Bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy had already returned home after a knee injury cut short his tour.
Anshul Kamboj made his test debut in Manchester but Gambhir said they would have a full set of fit bowlers at their disposal for the test at the Oval, which begins on Thursday.
"All the fast bowlers are fit," Gambhir said. "There are no injury concerns."
However, India will be without stumper-batter Rishabh Pant, who has been ruled out of the series finale after fracturing his foot while batting in India's first innings in Manchester. REUTERS
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Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The trains servicing the route can reach 350kmh, though their speed varies along the journey – with the passengers hearing only a whisper-soft hum. JAKARTA – Hardly making any noise, the bullet train hurls past West Java's rice fields as it races from the nation's capital towards Bandung, Indonesia's third-largest city. This is Whoosh, the country's – and South-east Asia's – first high-speed rail service, with the trains able to cover the 142km separating the two cities in just 45 minutes. The trains servicing the route can reach 350kmh, though their speed varies along the journey – with the passengers hearing only a whisper-soft hum. Twelve trainsets, including one for inspection, operate on the line. All were designed and built in China but customised for Indonesia's tropical climate and seismic risks. Whoosh has largely lived up to its name since it was launched in October 2023. The sleek red-and-silver trains glide in and out of stations with clockwork precision. Inside, plush reclining seats, carpeted floors, digital displays and attendants in crisp uniforms create an air of calm efficiency as they guide passengers and help with luggage. 'I'm so proud of Indonesia's progress; the ride is so smooth, quiet and fast,' says Ms Eka Rani, a 36-year-old marketing officer, as she settles into her seat on the train from Jakarta. 'The ride is too short to spend time working on my laptop, so I shall just relax and enjoy the scenery.' The journey begins at Halim station in Jakarta and ends at Tegalluar Summarecon station on the outskirts of Bandung, with brief stops at Karawang and Padalarang along the way. By June, Whoosh had ferried more than 10 million passengers on some 30,000 trips. And in a country long plagued by congested roads and ageing railways, it became a symbol of Indonesia's infrastructure ambitions. A flagship initiative under former president Joko Widodo and part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, Whoosh slashed travel time between Jakarta and Bandung, a journey that would otherwise take around three hours by car or regular train. But the speed and sleekness belie a sobering fact: Whoosh is bleeding money. Losing steam Whoosh is an acronym for Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Handal – meaning Time-Saving, Optimal Operation, Reliable System. Built at a cost of US$7.3 billion (S$9.4 billion), the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail was funded largely through loans from the China Development Bank. Operated by Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), the project was a joint venture between Indonesian and Chinese state firms. The Indonesian stake was held by Pilar Sinergi BUMN Indonesia (PSBI), a consortium led by state rail operator Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI). 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Richardson arrested for domestic violence in Seattle, report says
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