Ahead of the fourth Test between India and England, starting in Ranchi on Friday, Jasprit Bumrah has been released from the squad, the BCCI said in a press release late on Tuesday. “The decision has been taken keeping in mind the duration of the series and the amount of cricket he has played in recent times,” the BCCI statement said. Meanwhile, KL Rahul has been ruled out of the fourth Test. “His participation in the final Test match in Dharamsala is subject to his eligibility,” 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 role in India's record 434-run win over the visitors in Rajkot on Sunday.
India are in a good position to wrap up the series in Ranchi, but if they fail to do so, the home side will desperately need Bumrah's services for the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala starting March 7.
Rahul, who missed the second and third Tests after complaining of pain in his right quadriceps, had reached 90 percent fitness last week, according to an insider.
“He is reaching match fitness and should be available for Ranchi Test,” a source told news agency PTI.
Rahul was among India's best batsmen in the opening Test in Hyderabad before going down with the same injury he sustained in the IPL last year.
Since his comeback after four months on the sidelines, the batsman has delivered across all formats for India. He was the only centurion for India in the two-Test series in South Africa in December.
India's updated squad for the 4e 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
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