New Delhi: India skipper Shubman Gill is keeping his fingers crossed for Jasprit Bumrah in the fifth and final Test against England at the Oval, London, starting July 31. As part of the workload management programme, Bumrah was initially scheduled to play in three of the five Tests, but the chance of saving the series after the drawn Manchester Test has put the team management in a dilemma.
Bumrah, who suffered a back injury earlier in the year, came to England to play three matches. He sat out the second Test at Edgbaston but played in the other three.
The draw at Old Trafford has made the match at Oval a high-stakes contest with England aiming to wrap up the series 2-1 while India is gunning for a win to level the five-match series.
Bumrah’s impact on India’s Oval Test chances
Bumrah, the world number one Test bowler, could prove to be the deciding factor between the two teams. He has picked up 14 wickets in the series, but looked off-colour in the drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford, where he managed to pick just two wickets from 33 overs in England’s only innings.
Following the fourth Test, Gill admitted that Bumrah’s presence would be a massive boost for the Indian team.
“If he feels like he’s fully fit and available for us, I think it would be a great deal for us,” Gill told BBC’s Test Match Special.
However, he also expressed belief in the rest of the bowlers and seemed confident of India’s chances even if Bumrah misses out.
“If he’s not playing, I still think we have the right kind of bowling attack.”
Oval Test: A pivotal match in India vs England series
Interestingly, India’s only win on the tour came when Bumrah was not part of the playing XI. The ace speedster was rested in the second Test at Edgbaston, which India won handsomely by 336 runs.
In the games he has played – 1st, 3rd and 4th – India have lost two and drawn one.
While the suspense surrounding Bumrah remains, India and England would already be looking forward to battling it out at the Oval. The series is perfectly poised following India’s miraculous escape in Manchester. Trailing by 311 runs behind, India were reduced to 0-2 before lunch on day four in their second innings.
However, the Indian batters showed remarkable grit and determination, playing out five sessions to force a draw. Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar all scored centuries, and KL Rahul contributed a crucial 90 to take India to 425-4, leading by 114 when both sides shook hands with 10 overs of the final day remaining.