Bumrah Released From India Squad For 4th Test, Star Batter Ruled Out

Ahead of the India vs England fourth Test, starting in Ranchi on Friday, Jasprit Bumrah has been released from the squad, the BCCI said in a media release late on Tueday. “The decision was taken keeping in mind the duration of the series and amount of cricket he has played in recent times,” the BCCI statement added. Meanwhile, KL Rahul is ruled out of the fourth Test. “His participation in the final Test match in Dharamsala is subject to fitness,” the BCCI said.

Mukesh Kumar, who was released from the squad for the third Test in Rajkot, has joined the squad in Ranchi.

As part of workload management, India had also rested Mohammed Siraj from the second Test in Visakhapatnam before he returned to play a part in India’s record 434 run win over the visitors in Rajkot on Sunday.

India are well-placed to seal the series in Ranchi but if they are not able to, the home team will desperately need the services of Bumrah for the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala beginning March 7.

Rahul, who missed the second and third Test after complaining of pain in his right quadriceps, had reached 90 percent fitness last week, according to an insider.

“He is reaching his match fitness and should be available for Ranchi Test,” a source told news agency PTI.

Rahul was among India’s best batters in the opening Test in Hyderabad before going down with the same injury that he suffered during the IPL last year.

Since his comeback after four months on the sidelines, the batter has delivered for India across formats. He was the only centurion for India in the drawn two-Test series in South Africa in December.

India’s updated squad for the 4^th 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, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.

With PTI inputs