Bumrah, Pant, and Arshdeep Singh all have fitness worries, while Siraj’s heavy workload is also causing headaches for the team management.
Indian team sources have said that picking the right players for the fourth Test in Manchester has become a really tough job. Several key players are facing fitness problems. The team badly wants to bring back their best fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. But new injury worries for Rishabh Pant and Arshdeep Singh have pushed the selection into difficult areas.
Bumrah was rested as part of a plan to manage how much he plays. With the series on the line, his return has become the biggest talking point. The star pacer’s fitness concerns have often been under scrutiny. But team management is keen to use their most dangerous weapon when it matters most.
The current situation got more complicated when other players picked up problems during the tour. Mohammed Siraj has played in all three tests so far. His workload came under question after bowling nonstop throughout the series. Arshdeep Singh also faces a race against time after cutting his hand while trying to stop a ball during practice.
Indian team management had already planned to be careful with player fitness. But these new problems have made things much harder. A member of the coaching staff clearly said they want Bumrah back. “We’ll make that call in Manchester still,” he stated. “I think it’s pretty obvious the series is on the line in Manchester, so there will be a leaning towards playing him.”
Talk is everywhere that Siraj might be rested to make room for Bumrah. The team loves what he brings, though. The coach praised Siraj, saying, “In terms of heart, he’s like a lion. What he brings to this bowling attack… you always feel like something’s going to happen. He’s not someone who’s going to shy away from workload, so it makes it even more important for us to manage his workload.”
The team management also confirmed they’re watching the “Arshdeep situation” closely. The left-arm bowler’s cut hand might need stitches. This would rule him out completely. “We have to see how bad the cut is,” a team source said. “If he needs stitches or doesn’t need stitches, that’s going to be important to our planning.”
Adding to the worries is Rishabh Pant’s finger injury from the last Test. The wicketkeeper-batsman couldn’t keep wickets after getting hurt. He bravely continued batting though. The coach explained, “Keeping is obviously the last part of the process to make sure that he can keep. We don’t want to go through that again where we have to replace the keeper halfway through an inning.”
HDsports©
