Team India, in absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, didn’t look very promising in the 1st Test vs ENG. While batsmen like KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant did try to fill the emptiness, bowlers, except Jasprit Bumrah, failed miserably — leaking too many runs and failing to give game-changing breakthroughs.
Among all these problems, a new headache has started knocking on Team India’s doors — one that nobody is talking about: Who will take Jasprit Bumrah’s place for the 2 matches he will not be a part of?
While it has been confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah will play only 3 matches on this tour, his replacement for the remaining 2 is still a concern.
“I think for us, managing his workload is more important because there’s a lot of cricket going forward, and we know what he brings to the table as well. So, before he came to the tour, it was already decided that he was going to play three Test matches” Gambhir told reporters in the post-match press conference after the first Test.
Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh are the two other specialist pacers in the squad — but they surely lack Bumrah’s skill sets and experience.
Hence, the only way out is to make a new addition to the squad with a pacer who is as no less than Bumrah in premiumness.
The only active names in this category are Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar — who once carried Team India’s bowling unit alongside Bumrah and made the nation proud on foreign soil.
Can Bhuvneshwar Kumar be Added to Team India’s Squad?
While Bhuvneshwar Kumar is still eligible to be called up for the national team, BCCI may ignore him for this role.
Having dominated England with his unplayable swing deliveries on his previous Test tours, he could be a sure fit at Bumrah’s spot – but the truth is – Bhuvneshwar Kumar is no longer in plans for Test Cricket.
Hence, the possibility of him getting added to the squad is negligible.
Can Mohammed Shami be Added to Team India’s Squad?
Mohammed Shami, unlike Bhuvneshwar Kumar, is still in plans for Test Cricket and was almost in line to be added to the squad for this England Tour. But, he was dropped out owing to workload and fitness issues.
Regarding Shami’s exclusion, Chief Selector Agarkar stated: “His workload is not where it needs to be. We were hoping he would be available but it is unfortunate. At the moment he is not fully fit.”
Hence, it’s clear that BCCI had the intention of adding Shami to the squad — and provided he is fit, he could straight away be added to the team as the coverup for Jasprit Bumrah.
Shami, who has taken 229 wickets in 64 matches, last made a Test appearance in June 2023 against Australia at the Oval. Ever since he’s struggled with fitness concerns, including in the five-match series against Australia.