ENG vs IND: "If he's not playing.." Ajinkya Rahane names Jasprit Bumrah's replacement for Manchester test

Ajinkya Rahane has picked his Jasprit Bumrah replacement for the Manchester test if he doesn’t play.

Ajinkya Rahane has named the perfect replacement for Jasprit Bumrah if he is rested for fourth test of the ongoing five-match test series against England. The Indian Cricket Team are gearing up for the penultimate test of the series against the England Cricket Team. The encounter will commence on July 23 at Old Trafford, Manchester.

Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in the fourth test is doubtful. Ahead of the test series, Indian management had revealed that fast bowler will only play in three tests out of five games to manage his workload.

Bumrah has already played two matches in the series. He was rested in the second test at Edgbaston. Now, the right-arm pacer will play in one of the two remaining tests. It is to be seen whether India will play him in the next game or the fifth test.

If Jasprit Bumrah is not playing, Arshdeep is the guy- Ajinkya Rahane

While speaking on his YouTube channel, Rahane said that Arshdeep Singh should replace Bumrah in the fourth test.

“I think so, yes. If Bumrah is not playing, Arshdeep is the guy. Because in England, you need a left-arm seamer who can swing the ball both ways, and also, with a different angle, he can create that rough for the spinners. So, if Bumrah doesn’t play, Arshdeep should play the next one,” he said.

Meanwhile, India’s assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate revealed that Arshdeep has sustained a minor injury during practice sessions.

“He took a ball while he was bowling — tried to stop it — and it’s just a cut. We have to see how bad the cut is. The medical team took him off to see a doctor, and obviously, whether he needs stitches or not is going to be important for our planning over the next few days,” he was quoted as saying by India Today.

Notably, if Bumrah is not part of the next game, Arshdeep is highly likely to replace him. Prasidh Krishna emerged too expensive in the first two games and is unlikely to return to the playing XI. Arshdeep is yet to make his test debut for India, but has an impressive record in ODIs and T20Is.

Bumrah has been quite impressive in both the encounters he has played. He picked five-wicket hauls in the first test at Headingley and the third test at Lord’s. The right-arm pacer has clinched 12 wickets in two tests at an average of 21.0.

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