The India vs England Test series’ highest wicket-taker, Jasprit Bumrah, has been rested for the fourth Test in Ranchi. The vice-captain had blown England away with his 9-wicket haul in Hyderabad and helped India level the series.
However, to manage his workload and to have him fully fit for what is expected be a pace-friendly pitch in Dharamsala, the Indian management has decided to release their trump card from the squad.
Jasprit Bumrah has bowled the most overs (80.5) by a pacer in the India vs England Test series and rescued Rohit Sharma from trouble in the second Test. Following his release, Mukesh Kumar has been added to the squad as his direct replacement.
With the pitch in Ranchi being the most spin-friendly one of the series, the decision to rest the No. 1 Test bowler makes sense. One has to also keep in mind that the T20 World Cup 2024 is also scheduled to start in June, and with a nearly two-month IPL already planned from March to May, managing the world’s best bowler will be Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid’s priority.
India’s squad for the India vs England 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, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.
