India will take on England in the third of the five-match Test series at Lord’s on Thursday. The hosts levelled the series in the previous Test at Edgbaston and they achieved the result without their strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah. However, Shubman Gill did confirm Bumrah will be back for the third Test and former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar confirmed that Bumrah will replace tall pacer Prasidh Krishna.
“I think it’s clear. Prasidh Krishna has to go out because, in the first innings, he was a bit expensive. Even in Leeds, although he got a few wickets, he really didn’t look like he was going to break through,” Gavaskar said on Sports Tak. Krishna picked up six wickets from two games at an average of 55.17
Akash Deep who has come in place of Bumrah for the Edgbaston Test has picked up 10 wickets and played the crucial role in India’s victory. “With Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj, you’ve seen the number of top-class deliveries that they’ve bowled. And they might not have gotten wickets – the batters played and missed, and the ball rapped them on the pads. It has to be Prasidh because his length wasn’t quite right. I believe he will make way for Bumrah,” Gavaskar said.
Shubman Gill on Bumrah returning
“Definitely”: That’s how India captain Shubman Gill responded when asked during the post-match presentation whether Jasprit Bumrah will be back for the next Test at Lord’s.
With the series level and his most potent bowling threat expected to play two of the three remaining Tests, things are suddenly looking rosy for India.
Gill’s decision to leave his pace spearhead out of the second Test, with his team 0-1 down, wasn’t a popular one, but the way things transpired over the five days at Edgbaston would have given the new captain immense confidence. If there are any question marks at any of his future selectorial calls, Gill can always remind his detractors what happened at Birmingham.
