Jasprit Bumrah likely to feature in Test series against Bangladesh: Reports

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, August 23, 2024: Star Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah could make his return to competitive cricket next month during the two-match Test series between India and Bangladesh. According to a report in the Indian Express, Bumrah, who last played for India during the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa in Barbados on June 29, 2024, is likely to play in one of the two Test matches against Bangladesh next month.

The red-ball series between India and Bangladesh is scheduled to start on September 19 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, and the second Test will take place at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.

According to the available information, Bumrah could feature in one of the two Tests against Bangladesh, and since there is just a three-day break between each of the three Tests against New Zealand, the 30-year-old pacer is likely to feature only in two Tests against the Kiwis.

In the absence of Mohammed Shami, Siraj is all set to lead the Indian pace attack in the upcoming home series, and like Bumrah, he will also be rotated during the home season and could be rested for a couple of Tests at home.

“We cannot rest everyone at one go because you need experience, even in home conditions. Like in the case of the England series, where India paired a senior pacer with a youngster, a similar approach would be adopted. There is a good crop of fast bowlers at the Duleep Trophy who have been picked keeping the Australia tour in mind. If they do well, we can use them in home conditions before taking them to Australia,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying.

Bumrah, who played in four out of five Tests against England earlier this year, picked up 15 wickets in the T20 World Cup 2024 for the Rohit Sharma-led side and won the Player of the Tournament award. He was then rested for the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe and the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.

He was not named in any of the four squads picked by the BCCI selectors for the upcoming edition of the Duleep Trophy, which starts on September 5 in Andhra Pradesh.