As expected, Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the fifth and only Test match against England starting July 1. In his absence, Jasprit Bumrah would lead the team, hence becoming the first Indian bowler after Kapil Dev to captain the national team. god who won World for the cup India In 1983, last led the team in 1987. So, after a gap of 35 years, a bowler will lead India.
This happened because Rohit had tested positive a few days back. And his RT-PCR test came back positive for the second time on Wednesday, making him definitely ruled out of the Test match.
“Rohit is out of this test match, starting July 1, as his RT-PCR test has come back positive again. He is still in isolation. Jasprit Bumrah, who is one of the vice-captains in KL Rahul’s absence, will lead the team,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Bumrah will be the 36th cricketer to lead India in the longest format since the country first played in 1932. The Gujarat pacer, who has 123 wickets in 29 Tests, has become the best fast bowler in the world.
The 28-year-old was made the vice-captain of the Indian ODI team when they toured South Africa earlier this year. He then said that he was ready to take up the new job, apart from the chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma had already said that he was being groomed as the leader of the future.
Who will open for India?
In the playing XI alongside the experienced Rohit, experienced Cheteshwar Pujara has a good chance to open the batting with young Shubman Gill.
The source added that Mayank Agarwal has just been brought in as “cover” and is not in the scheme of things as far as the playing XI is concerned.
“Mayank is just here as cover. It is likely to be the Pujara-Gill duo who are going to open the batting. There is an outside opportunity for Hanuma Vihari as he has worked in a stop-gap arrangement during the 2018 series in Australia. But the chances of Pujara opening are quite high.
It is understood that the specialist batsmen in the set-up will be Pujara, Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Vihari and Rishabh Pant.
The only other debatable point is whether to play a fourth fast bowling all-rounder in Shardul Thakur or play a second spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin with Ravindra Jadeja.
Along with Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami automatically choose themselves.
The team will play the first T20 match against England for the Ireland series.
With the first Test to end on July 5 and the first T20I in Southampton scheduled for July 7, the selection committee has decided that the star players will be given a three-day recovery period before being picked for the second game.
India has three T20Is and as many ODIs with England.
“The team that plays the T20 series in Ireland will be in the first T20 and then in the second T20 all the stars (Rohit if fit, Kohli, Bumrah, Pant, Jadeja) will return,” the source said.
“Once, they are well rested, they will all be part of the regular white-ball side, but in Ireland most of the players will remain until the end of the T20I series.”
(with PTI inputs)
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