Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian pace bowler, has notified the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of his availability for selection for the two-Test series against the West Indies in Ahmedabad and Delhi beginning on October 2. On Wednesday afternoon, the senior selection committee will convene online to choose a 15-member squad for India.
At present, Bumrah is playing in the T20 Asia Cup held in the UAE. If India reaches the final, there will be only a three-day interval before the first Test in Ahmedabad. It will be intriguing to see whether Bumrah is selected for the Test series by the national selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar. Bumrah is unlikely to be rested. Er wird bei den Testspielen gegen die West Indies spielen. With crucial games ahead, it’s beneficial for him to continue playing and gain more match experience,” said Ryan Ten Doeschate, India’s assistant coach, in Dubai on the eve of their Super 4 match against Bangladesh.
Following the Test series with Australia, India will head to Australia for a white-ball tour that includes three ODIs and five T20Is. Bumrah participated in only three of the five Tests during India’s recent tour of England, as prearranged by the BCCI’s medical team. He was released for the fifth Test at the Oval, where Shubman Gill and his teammates leveled the series.
It is unlikely that the India Test squad for the forthcoming home matches against West Indies will undergo significant changes from the one that drew the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England. As wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant is unavailable for the series due to a right foot fracture he suffered during the fourth Test at Manchester, Dhruv Jurel will be the primary wicketkeeper, with Tamil Nadu’s N Jagadeesan serving as the backup.
Suthar in fray
Manav Suthar, a left-arm spinner, is vying for a Test call-up as his bowling has caught the attention of selectors in the ongoing four-day match between India A and Australia A. On Tuesday, the spinner from Rajasthan achieved a five-wicket haul, and it has been reported that the selectors would like him to mentor the young spinner. Suthar, aged 23, has participated in 23 first-class matches and has captured 95 wickets. Ravindra Jadeja is already part of the Test team, but with an eye on the future, the selectors aim to develop the promising young spinner.
Jadeja reports at COE
In the meantime, Jadeja has gone to the Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru, where he will have his fitness test. After the tour of England, Jadeja took a break from competitive cricket. The West Indies series will be his first match after a two-month gap. Jadeja had an impressive batting performance on the England tour, where he notched up a century and hit three half-centuries.
