'Always difficult to replace him but...': Gautam Gambhir reveals the number of Tests Jasprit Bumrah will play in England series

India is set to tour England for a five-match Test series which is set to commence from June 20. This assignment is highly important for both the sides as the series will also kick-off the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. Ahead of the team's departure to England, India head coach Gautam Gambhir and newly-appointed Test skipper Shubman Gill did a press conference.

Bumrah to only feature in three Tests against England

In the conference, Gambhir revealed that star pacer Jasprit Bumrah will only be featuring in three out of the five Tests that the Men in Blue will be playing against the Three Lions. However, he further said that it hasn't been decided that which matches will the 31-year-old play in.

"We haven't taken that call, which three games is he going to play. We are going to have a discussion with him and depending on the series as well. A lot will depend on the results of the series, where the series is heading. That is something which I am sure he is very well aware of as well and that is important," Gambhir said at the press conference.

"It's always difficult to replace someone like Jasprit Bumrah. But we have enough quality. I have said this before, including during the Champions Trophy, that when he is not there, it's an opportunity for someone else to step up," he added.

On the other hand, Gill remarked that even in the absence of Bumrah, the team has pacers who can help them in winning matches from any situation.

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"I think we have picked enough bowlers and we have enough pace battery and a lot of fast bowlers are in a great space to be able to win us Test matches from any situation or any position," Gill said.

"Obviously when you have someone like Jasprit Bumrah, depending on how many matches he would play, whenever he would come back and play the match for us, it would be a great sight for us. But I think we have a great mix of bowlers and a great set of bowlers who can get the job for the team done," he added.

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India's 18-member Test squad for the England assignment includes pacers Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh. They also picked Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy, both of whom are seam-bowling all-rounders.

India squad for England series: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav