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Khaleej Times
27-07-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Bumrah playing in final Test would be 'great' for India, says skipper Gill
India will consider whether to go back on their plan to restrict Jasprit Bumrah to just three Tests in England after keeping a five-match series alive with a battling draw at Old Trafford on Sunday. Bumrah's back injury earlier this year led India to announce the outstanding fast bowler would only feature in three games of the England series in a bid to manage his workload. And the world's top-ranked Test bowler made his third appearance of the campaign in Manchester where India batted out five sessions and 143 overs to deny England an unassailable 3-1 series lead. India could now field Bumrah when they try to end the series all square at 2-2 in next week's concluding Test at the Oval. But with that clash in south London starting on Thursday, there is little time for Bumrah to recover after he sent down a tiring 33 overs during England's mammoth 669. Bumrah's return of 2-112 also meant the 31-year-old conceded more than a hundred runs in an innings for the first time in his celebrated 48-Test career. But India captain Shubman Gill insisted he would be delighted to have Bumrah in his side for the finale. "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. "If he's not playing, I still think we have the right kind of bowling attack. "Akash Deep is available for the last Test, so we will have a bowling attack that could take 20 wickets for us." India will have to make at least one change, with Rishabh Pant ruled out after the wicketkeeper-batsman suffered a broken foot at Old Trafford. Pant left the field on a buggy on the opening day after edging Chris Woakes onto his boot when on 37 but returned less than 24 hours later, making 17 further runs before he was out for 54 in India's first-innings 358. "Rishabh, already it's been declared that he's out of this series," India coach Gautam Gambhir told reporters. "The character and the foundation of this team will be built on what Rishabh did for the team and the country. "Any amount of praise is not enough for him, especially batting with a broken foot." After Gill had made a fine hundred, his fourth of the series, there was a farcical finish to the fourth Test after Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja rejected England's offer to end proceedings with 15 overs remaining –- the earliest a draw could have been agreed. The pair had performed superbly to bat out the final two sessions and spare India defeat, but on 80 and 89 respectively, they wanted to underline their gutsy displays with hundreds. England were unimpressed with captain Ben Stokes bringing on batsman Harry Brook for 'help yourself' runs. Jadeja was the first to capitalise on the 'buffet bowling' before Sundar followed him to three figures for a maiden Test hundred. But Gambhir, a former India batsman, said: "If someone from England had been batting on 90 or 85, if someone has the opportunity to get a first Test hundred, would you allow him to do it? "They weathered the those guys deserved a hundred and fortunately they got it." But Stokes said: "That partnership was massive, they played incredibly well and I don't think there would have been too much more satisfaction at walking off 100 not out than 80 or 90. "Scoring 10 more runs isn't going to change the fact you've got your team out of a very, very tricky situation and saved your team from a series defeat."
The National
18-07-2025
- Sport
- The National
India ponder Jasprit Bumrah's selection for series-defining Manchester Test against England
India find themselves between a rock and a hard place as they consider whether to select fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah for the fourth Test against England in Manchester next week with the series on the line. Bumrah has been among the top wicket takers in the series despite playing only two out of the three Tests. However, despite his presence India find themselves trailing the five-match series 2-1 after a heartbreaking 22-run defeat in the Lord's Test. Before the series started, it was announced that Bumrah will play only three out of the five Tests due to workload management; the right-arm quick had injured his back during the previous five-match series in Australia which ruled him out for months. While Bumrah has been among the wickets, he has been unable to have a big impact in the second innings of both Tests he played, and which India coincidentally lost. Now India are left with a tough decision – push Bumrah to play the fourth Test which begins on Wednesday or give him enough rest for bigger white-ball assignments like the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup. If England win the fourth Test, they will take an unassailable lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. That would be a tough initiation into Test captaincy for Shubman Gill and possibly cost coach Gautam Gambhir his red-ball duties after heavy defeats at home to New Zealand and in Australia. Which so much uncertainty, India are considering playing Bumrah in the next match rather than preserving him for the final Test at the Oval. 'We know we have got him for one of the last two Tests,' assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said. 'It's pretty obvious that the series is on the line now in Manchester, so there will be a leaning towards playing him. 'But again, we have got to look at all the factors: how many days of cricket are we going to get up there, what do we feel is our best chance of winning that game, and then how that fits in together with the Oval.' England call in reinforcements England have handed spinner Liam Dawson a Test recall after an eight-year absence, with the 35-year-old replacing the injured Shoaib Bashir. Dawson made the last of his three Test appearances in 2017 but Bashir's finger injury has paved the way for a comeback. Bashir took the match-winning wicket in a tense finish at Lord's on Monday evening, having already broken the little finger on his left hand, and is set for surgery in the coming days. England have run through a host of different spinning options since Dawson, but his consistently impressive performances have persuaded the selectors to draft him in for the fourth Test. England also released seamers Jamie Overton and Sam Cook to play in the county championship, with Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson retained as additional pace options in a 14-man squad. Chris Woakes could be rested in Manchester after struggling to find his best form this summer but one player who has no intention of sitting out is Jofra Archer. He played a key role in the thrilling 22-run win at Lord's – his first match back after a four-and-a-half-year injury absence. Archer routinely cleared the 90mph mark, struck with his third ball of the match and took two vital wickets on the final morning. England have carefully managed his return to action but now that he has the taste for it, Archer does not want to rest. 'I don't want to lose this series. I told Keysy (ECB managing director Rob Key) that I wanted to play the Test summer and I wanted to play the Ashes. 'I think one tick is already there and I will do everything possible in my power to be on the plane in November, or just before.'
