London, July 31: Jasprit Bumrah is likely to miss the 5th Test between England and India at The Oval. Akash Deep is expected to replace him, ESPNcricinfo reported.According to the publication, the BCCI medical team has advised the ace pacer to rest to protect his back and focus on long-term fitness. This move was already part of a plan made with the team, selectors and Bumrah himself.
The 31-year-old world No. 1 was set to play only 3 out of 5 Tests between England and India. Bumrah played the 1st, 3rd and 4th Test matches.
Bumrah shares 14 wickets in the series with Mohammed Siraj, making them the joint highest wicket-takers for India. England captain Ben Stokes leads as the highest wicket-taker of the series with 17 wickets.
Bumrah, with 3.04, is in the 3rd position among the bowlers with the best economy rate. Jofra Archer is No. 2 with 2.92 while Liam Dawson is at the top with 2.26.
Bumrah has not bowled since Day 4 of the 4th Test at Old Trafford. The flat pitch and heavy workload affected his pace in the last match.
He bowled 33 overs, conceded over 100 runs and took 2 wickets. His speed dropped across the series, with fewer balls crossing 140kph. At Old Trafford, just 0.5% of his deliveries were above that mark.
With only three days between matches, India considered changing plans but chose to stick to the original, ESPNcricinfo added.
Earlier, Head Coach Gautam Gambhir said Bumrah was fit for the 5th Test at The Oval. But now, India has decided to rest him, according to the publication.
The final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy starts on July 31 at The Oval, where India have won only twice in 15 matches. England are leading 2-1, but India’s confidence must be high after a thrilling draw in Manchester.
Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar hit centuries to save the match. KL Rahul (90) and Captain Shubman Gill (103) earlier anchored the innings with a solid partnership.