India pacer Jasprit Bumrah will reportedly be rested for the upcoming fourth Test against England in Ranchi. The fourth game of the penultimate five-match IND vs ENG 2024 series is scheduled to be played from February 23.
Jasprit Bumrah has played in all three Tests of the series so far. He is the only pacemaker to have appeared in every game in the series. Mohammed Siraj partnered him in the series opener before being rested for the second game in Vishakhapatnam as part of workload management. In his absence, Mukesh Kumar played the second Test.
Several media reports claimed that Jasprit Bumrah was likely to be rested for the third match, but the Indian team management decided otherwise. In the just-concluded third Test, he and Siraj took charge of the pace department in Rajkot.
Jasprit Bumrah will rest:
According to a Cricbuzz report, Jasprit Bumrah is now set to take a break for the fourth Test. The report stated that the pacer will be allowed to skip the Ranchi test and get some much-needed rest. His participation in the fifth test is also unclear and will likely depend on the outcome of the fourth test.
While the Indian team will leave Rajkot for Ranchi on Tuesday (February 20), Jasprit Bumrah is unlikely to be part of the touring contingent. He is likely to leave for his home in Ahmedabad on Monday itself. The report also states that there are no other reports of other players being rested for the fourth Test.
Jasprit Bumrah has been India’s star player with the ball in the series so far. With 17 wickets at an astonishing average of 13.64, he is currently the leading wicket-taker in the series. In the three Tests so far, he has bowled nearly 81 overs and is now ready to take a break.
With the right-arm pacer almost confirmed to skip the next game, Mukesh Kumar is all set to rejoin the team. He was released from the team before the third Test to join up with the Bengal team for their Ranji Trophy clash against Bihar.