New Delhi, July 17 Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta believes India would greatly benefit from the inclusion of world-class fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the fourth Test against England in Manchester, citing the long gap between matches.
Ahead of the Test series in England, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir had announced that Bumrah will only play three of the five games in the series in order to manage his workload. That policy has meant that Bumrah played in Tests at Headingley and Lord’s, while being rested from the Edgbaston game.
“Jasprit Bumrah in the fourth Test, absolutely yes. I've heard rumours that the plan for him was to play in the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tests. But since India is 2-1 behind, the fourth Test becomes very, very crucial for a comeback. You would definitely want the world's best bowler to play,” said Dasgupta on JioHotstar.
Interestingly India have lost both the Tests Bumrah has played, where he picked five-wicket hauls in first innings of matches at Headingley and Lord’s. With India aiming to level the series in the Test at Old Trafford, starting on July 23, Bumrah’s presence in the bowling department becomes very crucial for the Shubman Gill-led side.
“And there is a gap of 8 days between the two Test matches. The fifth Test will only be relevant depending on what happens in the fourth — and that's something to worry about later. But the relevance of the fourth Test is very high,” added Dasgupta.
Following the 22-run defeat in the thrilling game at Lord’s, India now 1-2 behind in the five-match series and will be aiming to bounce back in Manchester, before taking on England in the fifth and final match of the series at The Oval in London from July 31 to August 4.
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