India Announce Squad for Fifth Test Against England in Dharamshala; Rahul Ruled Out, Bumrah Returns
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced an updated squad for the fifth and final Test against England, starting on March 7 in Dharamshala.
Opener KL Rahul, whose participation was in doubt due to a quadriceps injury, has been ruled out of the final match. Rahul has missed all three matches prior to first match that was played in Hyderabad.
The BCCI medical team is monitoring him and collaborating with specialists in London for further management. Rahul, who scored 86 in the first innings of the opening Test in Hyderabad, sustained the injury and missed the subsequent matches.
Meanwhile, India’s vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah returns to the squad after being rested for the fourth Test. The pacer, who picked up 17 wickets in the series at an impressive average of 13.64, was rested to manage his workload considering the upcoming IPL and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup later this year.
All-rounder Washington Sundar, who did not feature in any of the first four Tests, has been released from the squad to play for his domestic side Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy semi-final.
The BCCI also provided an update on fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who underwent successful surgery for a right heel problem on February 26. Shami will begin his rehabilitation process at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
Shami’s last international appearance was in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Final against Australia in November 2023.
India lead the five-match series 3-1 after securing a win in Ranchi, their third consecutive victory. The hosts currently hold the second position in the ICC World Test Championship standings with a 64.58 point percentage, while England sit eighth at 19.44%.
India Squad for Fifth Test Match Against England at Dharamshala
1. R Ashwin
2. Ravindra Jadeja
3. Rohit Sharma (C)
4. Jasprit Bumrah (VC)
5. Yashasvi Jaiswal
6. Shubman Gill
7. Rajat Patidar
8. Sarfaraz Khan
9. Dhruv Jurel (WK)
10. KS Bharat (WK)
11. Devdutt Padikkal
12. Axar Patel
13. Kuldeep Yadav
14. Mohd. Siraj
15. Mukesh Kumar
16. Akash Deeprge
