As the fourth and final Test between India and England looms at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi, all eyes are on the Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, who currently holds a 2-1 lead in the series. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made a significant announcement ahead of the match, revealing that Jasprit Bumrah would be given a break to manage his workload. This decision opens the door for uncapped fast bowler Akash Deep to potentially make his debut in place of Bumrah.
Akash Deep caught the attention of the Indian selectors with his impressive performance during the India A vs England Lions matches in Ahmedabad, where he claimed 10 wickets across two red-ball games. While Mukesh Kumar, who partnered with Bumrah in the Visakhapatnam Test, remains an option, the team management seems inclined to give Akash a chance first. Mukesh’s lacklustre performance in Vizag, where he struggled and only managed to dismiss one tailender, seems to have influenced this decision.
At 27 years old, Akash Deep has already made a name for himself in domestic cricket, particularly with Bengal, where he has taken 104 wickets in 30 first-class matches at an impressive average of 23.58.
The spotlight now falls on who will partner Mohammed Siraj in the fast bowling department for the Ranchi Test. With the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s stellar batting and Ravindra Jadeja’s exceptional all-round performance in the previous Test, India enters the final match with confidence after a resounding victory in Rajkot by a staggering 434 runs.
As the teams gear up for the crucial match starting on February 23, India will aim to secure a series win in front of their home crowd, with the squad boasting a mix of experienced players and promising newcomers.
Indian Squad for the Fourth Test
- Rohit Sharma (captain)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Shubman Gill
- Rajat Patidar
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper)
- KS Bharat (wicketkeeper)
- Devdutt Padikkal
- R Ashwin
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Axar Patel
- Washington Sundar
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohd. Siraj
- Mukesh Kumar
- Akash Deep
Also Read: IND vs ENG: Jasprit Bumrah released from India’s squad for the fourth Test in Ranchi