Jasprit Bumrah will play the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford. The news comes as a huge boost to the team following the injury crisis which rocked Shubman Gill’s team after the Lord’s Test.

“So far, we only know that Jassi (Bumrah) bhai will play,” Mohammed Siraj said in Manchester on Monday when asked about India’s pace attack.

Injuries to Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep have already left the pace combination uncertain, though the think-tank is willing to wait and watch on the latter’s fitness. India are trailing 1-2 in the five-Test series after losing a close match at Lord’s by 22 runs.

The BCCI also confirmed on Monday that all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has sustained a serious ligament injury on his left knee and will miss the remainder of the ongoing Test series in England.

But Akash’s fitness remains the big question. He bowled at nets on Monday under the prying eyes of bowling coach Morne Morkel. The medical staff will monitor him over the next two days to assess his condition ahead of the Manchester match, which begins on Wednesday.

If Akash isn’t fit, Prasidh Krishna, who played the first two Tests, or the uncapped Anshul Kamboj, who has been brought in as cover, could play. Prasidh has proved to be expensive while Kamboj, 24, can make good use of the English conditions. He has 79 first-class wickets at an average of 22.88 since 2022 and was fairly successful in his stint for India A in England ahead of the
Test series.

With the weather likely to play truant and reduce Bumrah’s workload, there is talk that the No.1 fast bowler could play a fourth Test in the series. Bumrah was supposed to play three Tests and his quota ends with the Manchester game. Light showers are likely during the match and if the series is alive at The Oval, Bumrah can’t be ruled out.

The Old Trafford wicket has a green look, but how much of the grass is retained remains to be seen. But will Kuldeep Yadav be tried out? It seems unlikely given the conditions though former England captain and Lancashire veteran Mike Atherton has vouched for his inclusion since the pitch has a tendency to favour wrist spinners.

Former England pacer Steve Harmison has been intrigued by Kuldeep’s absence.

“At the moment, their side is well-balanced. But the challenge lies in finding a way to bring Kuldeep Yadav in. You cannot drop Washington Sundar or Ravindra Jadeja. So, can you play three spinners? That would be a big call, especially considering the situation around Jasprit Bumrah,” Harmison said on JioHotstar.

“Picking Kuldeep can be the right move, but how would you fit him in. There may have to be a tough decision — is it Sundar who misses out? I wouldn’t want to be the one making that call,” he added.

The good news for India is that Rishabh Pant has recovered from his finger injury sustained at Lord’s. He went through wicket-keeping drills and batted comfortably in the nets on Monday.

It is understood that the No.3 slot still seems undecided, though Sai Sudharsan seems to have a fairly good chance of returning to the XI ahead of Karun Nair, who has failed to enthuse confidence in the previous two matches.

Nair has been dismissed after getting set in at least two innings, bringing his performance under scrutiny. During the fielding practice session on Monday, Sudharsan was tried out in the slip cordon, though Nair too joined in later.

It was apparent that the team was trying out different combinations before taking a final call. Even Yashasvi Jaiswal was tried out in the gully after giving him a break from close catching in the last two Tests.

But who replaces Reddy? Everything points to Shardul Thakur as a like-for-like replacement, but does the team management have enough faith in his abilities?

If the pitch remains green, Shardul will be the ideal choice, considering his experience. Besides being the fourth pacer, his presence will also strengthen the batting.