India might favor playing pace ace Jasprit Bumrah in the decisive fourth Test against England at Old Trafford due to his indomitable bowling skills, but assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate assured that a decision will be taken nearer to the game, which is starting on July 23 in Manchester.
Ahead of the five-Test series, India head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar had indicated a workload plan for Bumrah, that he would play in just three of the five tests. Till now, Bumrah has played in the Tests against England at Headingley and Lord's, but was rested during the Edgbaston match.
With a seven-day break between the third and fourth matches, the side is now thinking of utilising Bumrah in Manchester, particularly with the series hanging in the balance following India's 22-run loss at Lord's.
"We'll make that decision in Manchester still," ten Doeschate said at a media conference in Beckenham, where the side is conducting training sessions.
"We know we've got him for one of the last two Tests. I think it's fairly obvious the series is in the balance now in Manchester, so there will be a leaning towards playing him. But again, we've got to consider all the factors."
He added that conditions, length of the game, and strategic considerations for Manchester as well as the Oval will determine the final decision.
In the meantime, India suffered a minor injury concern in practice as left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh got cut on his bowling hand while trying to cut a shot off batter Sai Sudharsan. He was promptly treated by the medical team and taken for further assessment.
"He attempted to cut the ball off Sai and it's just a cut on his hand," ten Doeschate clarified.
We have to observe how severe the cut is. whether he requires stitches or not will be crucial for our planning in the next few days."
With Mohammed Siraj leading the wicket charts in the series right now with 13 dismissals and having bowled more than 109 overs, there are increasing concerns over his workload. Ten Doeschate recognized the need for maintaining Siraj's fitness.
"Let's begin with Siraj before we discuss Bumrah," he said. "I feel we underappreciate how fortunate we are to have a guy like him. He's a lion—full of heart—and when he bowls, something always seems possible."
He is not the kind of guy to duck the workload, so that makes it all the more crucial that we do it well. We'll see what combination based on Arshdeep's availability and finalize closer to the match."
Comparing Siraj's heavy bowling load with English captain Ben Stokes, who has bowled 105 overs so far, ten Doeschate was quick to point out the specificity of each bowling unit.
"See, it was really impressive for Ben to bowl the way he did on the last day. But we can't compare our bowlers with other teams' players," he stated. "Jasprit is better in short spells, which fit his style. Not all bowlers must bowl their best in long spells. Similar to Siraj, some do their best in their seventh or eighth over. It just depends on the guy and what is best for the team."
The Indian camp also witnessed an unusual sight at practice—bowling coach Morne Morkel rolling his arm over. Ten Doeschate clarified that it was about offering the batters a different challenge.
"It’s not like he’s replicating someone like Jofra [Archer], if that’s what you’re hinting at," he said with a smile. With Arshdeep not turning up for practice and Akash [Deep] not bowling today, we had no options. Morne coming for a couple of overs provided the batters with good practice, particularly with someone taller giving shape to the new ball."
With the fourth Test looming, India is faced with a series-defining decision about their fast-bowling contingent, with Bumrah's availability, Siraj's workload, and Arshdeep's fitness all being watched closely.
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