Jasprit Bumrah Set to Return for Fourth Test Against England in Manchester
Bumrah's Comeback in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy
Manchester [UK], July 21: Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj announced on Monday that Jasprit Bumrah will participate in the fourth Test of the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series, scheduled to take place at Old Trafford, Manchester, starting July 23.
During the announcement of the Indian squad for the England Test tour, chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed that Bumrah was advised against playing consecutive Tests to manage his workload effectively. This caution follows a stress reaction in his back sustained during the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney back in January.
Bumrah played in the first and third Tests, showcasing his skills with impressive bowling spells, although India faced defeats in both matches. With two Tests remaining and India trailing 1-2 in the series, Siraj emphasized the importance of Bumrah's presence in Manchester.
In a statement to reporters in Manchester, Siraj confirmed, as reported by ICC, “He (Bumrah) will play. That’s what I know so far.”
In the series opener at Headingley, Bumrah was a key player for India, achieving remarkable figures of 5/83 in the first innings. However, during India's 371-run defense, he struggled and ended up wicketless, contributing to a five-wicket loss.
In the third Test at Lord’s, the 31-year-old bowler made a significant impact, taking a record five-wicket haul and finishing with match figures of 7/112, despite India suffering a narrow 22-run defeat.
Siraj also discussed the team dynamics for the upcoming fourth Test, stating, “As the combinations keep changing, we need to be patient. We must bowl in the right areas. In the last game, England batted with a lot of patience, which is part of the excitement of Test cricket.”
Reflecting on the Lord’s Test, Siraj's unfortunate dismissal by Shoaib Bashir, where the ball rolled back into the stumps, marked the end of India's resistance, leaving Ravindra Jadeja stranded after a heartbreaking loss.
Despite dominating large portions of the match, India fell short, with Bumrah being a standout performer, taking seven wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings.
Currently, England leads the series 2-1 after their narrow victory in the third Test at Lord’s.
England's squad for the fourth Test includes: Ben Stokes (Captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, and Chris Woakes.
India's squad features: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.