India's star pacer Jasprit Bumrah will be absent from the third and final Test against New Zealand, which begins on November 1 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. As per a report in Indian Express, the Indian team management prioritises Bumrah's fitness for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Test series in Australia.
India has already suffered two consecutive defeats in the series, marking their first home Test series loss in 12 years. With Bumrah's workload in mind, the team management has opted to rest him for the final Test. Despite participating in India's first full training session in Mumbai on Wednesday, Bumrah returned to Ahmedabad the same night.
The team's focus is now on preparing for the crucial Australian tour, which is scheduled to commence on November 22. By resting Bumrah, the Indian team aims to ensure his optimal fitness and performance in the upcoming series.
Jasprit Bumrah to be rested for 3rd Test against New Zealand?
The report also indicated that head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma had initially planned to rest Bumrah for the second Test against New Zealand. However, due to India's loss in the series opener, the team was compelled to reconsider their strategy.
“He won’t be playing the Mumbai Test and has flown back home. The Indian team management wanted him to take some rest so that he could recover his body. He will now join the Indian team when the team departs for Australia,” a source privy to the development told Indian Express.
During the pre-match press conference in Mumbai on October 31, Gautam Gambhir was questioned about Bumrah's limited participation in Wednesday's training session, which notably excluded net bowling. While the query hinted at the possibility of Bumrah being rested for the third Test, the Indian head coach refrained from disclosing specific details.
“I think he’s (Bumrah) just done his preparations, I think we know how the weather is in Mumbai so obviously he needs to conserve his energy as well. So he’s done his bowling, he’s prepared really well and he’s fine. That’s why he’s a senior player, he knows how much he needs to prepare for the Test match,” Gambhir concluded.
Another report revealed that Bumrah has flown back to Ahmedabad ahead of the dead rubber against Kiwis.
