The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the squad for the fifth and final Test match against England, set to begin from March 7 in Dharamsala.
Vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the fourth Test in Ranchi, will link-up with the squad ahead of the start of the final Test of the series. However, wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, sidelined due to injury since the first Test, will miss the final encounter as well.
“BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring him and coordinating with specialists in London for further management of his issue,” stated a BCCI release regarding Rahul’s absence.
Furthermore, the board confirmed Bumrah’s inclusion, noting, “Mr. Jasprit Bumrah, who was released from the squad for the 4th Test in Ranchi, will link up with the squad in Dharamsala for the 5th Test.”
In Rahul’s absence, Rajat Patidar retains his spot in the Test squad despite a series of low scores. Additionally, the BCCI revealed that all-rounder Washington Sundar has been released from the squad to join his state team, Tamil Nadu, for their Ranji Trophy semi-final against Mumbai, with the option to rejoin the national team if required.
The board also provided an update on Mohammed Shami’s status, announcing that he had successfully undergone surgery for a right heel problem. Shami is expected to begin his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru shortly.
India’s squad for the fifth Test: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, and Akash Deep.