- By Namrata Vijay
- Thu, 17 Jul 2025 12:06 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IND vs ENG 4th Test: Ex-India wicketkeeper batter Deep Dasgupta has reckoned that Jasprit Bumrah should be included in the playing XI of the fourth Test match against England, which would be held next week at Old Trafford in Manchester. Bumrah has been the country's best bowler in the ongoing series, even though he has played in just two Test matches.
He has taken a five-wicket haul during both these matches and has overall taken 12 wickets after bowling in four innings at a staggering average of 21.
Even before this five-match Test series against England started, Ajit Agarkar, who is Team India's chief selector, had revealed that Bumrah would be featuring in just three Test matches in order to manage his workload. Bumrah made a comeback to the Test side after recovering from a back injury, which he had picked up in the five-match Test series against Australia earlier this year. Before the Test series against England, Gautam Gambhir too had revealed that Bumrah would be playing in just three Test matches, and also repeated the same after losing the series opener in Leeds.
Post losing the third Test match, Dasgupta opined that including Bumrah in the playing XI of the next match is really important. During an interaction on Star Sports, the ex-India wicketkeeper revealed that he had heard rumours that Bumrah would be featuring during the series opener, the third and the fifth Test match. But Dasgupta said that since the Shubman Gill-led side is already trailing by 2-1 in the ongoing series, the fourth Test has now become really important.
“Jasprit Bumrah in the fourth Test, absolutely yes. I’ve heard rumours that the plan for him was to play in the first, third, and fifth Tests. But now, when India are 1-2 behind, the fourth Test becomes very, very crucial. You would want the world’s best bowler to play," Deep Dasgupta was quoted as saying on Star Sports.
The third Test match at Lord's got over earlier this week, and the fourth Test match will be held next week. He suggested that the gap between these matches is enough for Bumrah to get the much-needed rest, and he should be prepared for the fourth Test match.
“There is an eight-day gap between the two Tests. It remains to be seen whether the fifth Test is still relevant after the fourth Test, but the relevance of the fourth Test is considerable," he concluded.
After beating the Men in Blue during the third Test, the Ben Stokes-led side is currently leading the five-match Test series by 2-1.
