Shubman Gill Discusses Bumrah's Fitness and Arshdeep Singh's Potential Debut Ahead of Final Test

Indian Team Prepares for Final Test Against England

As the Indian cricket team gears up for the fifth Test against England at The Oval, captain Shubman Gill addressed the media regarding the fitness of pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah and the possibility of debuting left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh.

Following a hard-fought draw at Old Trafford, Team India is eager to level the series when the final Test begins on Thursday. A significant point of discussion is Bumrah's fitness, as he was initially slated to play three out of five Tests in the series. In the previous match in Manchester, he recorded his most expensive figures of 2/112 and faced some fitness challenges.

During the press conference, Gill mentioned, "We will make a decision tomorrow. The pitch appears quite green, so we will assess how it develops."

In the ongoing series, Bumrah stands as the second-highest wicket-taker for India, having claimed 14 wickets at an average exceeding 26, including two five-wicket hauls.

Gill also indicated that a decision regarding Arshdeep, who is currently India's leading T20I wicket-taker, would be made later in the day. "He is definitely being asked to prepare. As I mentioned, we will finalize our decision this evening. I need to inspect the pitch first. I haven't had the opportunity to do so yet. We will also consider the weather forecast for the next five days before making our choice," he added.

Arshdeep brings valuable experience from his time in England, having previously played in the County Championship. After a successful IPL 2023 campaign where he took 17 wickets, he joined Kent and secured 13 wickets in five matches.

In his first-class career, Arshdeep has taken 66 wickets across 21 matches, averaging 30.37, with his best figures being 6/40 and two five-wicket hauls in 37 innings.

Gill reflected on the series as a significant learning experience for him as a captain, asserting that the scoreline does not accurately represent India's performance. "Each match has been challenging to predict a winner after four days of play. If we can achieve a series-leveling victory with a relatively young team outside of India, it would be a remarkable accomplishment for us," he stated.