Bumrah boost for India in fourth Test amid injuries to fast bowlers

The spearhead will play at Old Trafford as the visitors grapple with injuries to Akash Deep, Arshdeep and Nitish Reddy

- Somshuvra Laha

With injuries to their pacers having grown into a mini crisis, India have confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah will play in the fourth Test starting at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Mohammed Siraj, addressing the media on Monday, said: “So far, we only know that Jassi (Bumrah) bhai will play.” With Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out due to injuries, Siraj said in Manchester that the team combination is “changing day-to-day”, but he will bowl with the man whose workload management restricts him to only three of the five Tests.

On Monday morning, a BCCI media release said that India will go into the Test two bowlers short and that Haryana pacer Anshul Kamboj has been added to the squad. Nitish Reddy, who has a left knee injury, has been ruled out of the last two Tests. Arshdeep suffered a thumb injury in his bowling hand while trying to stop a ball on the follow at the nets. Reddy will fly home immediately.

The BCCI release added: “Arshdeep sustained an impact injury to his left thumb while bowling in the nets at a training session in Beckenham. The BCCI medical team is monitoring his progress.”