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India Possible Playing 11 for 5th Test: Bumrah, Jadeja could be rested; Ashwin, Shami may return

India and England are all set to face each other in the fifth Test after a Covid-19 positive test result of visitors' physio threatened to derail the Old Trafford match. But India might have to make some changes.

Jasprit Bumrah

Manchester, September 10: India and England are all set to face each other in the fifth Test after a Covid-19 positive test result of visitors' physio threatened to derail the Old Trafford match, beginning on Friday (September 10).

The match got a go-ahead after all 21 India players tested negative for the Coronavirus. Earlier, India assistant physio Yogesh Parmar was tested positive for Covid-19 and was placed in isolation.

But now it has emerged that one senior player might indeed withdraw from the Test after his family, which is present in Manchester, does not want him to play this match. The family is worried that there could even be a possible Covid-19 outbreak within the team in the midst of the Test match.

The BCCI is in talks with the player concerned to persuade him to play the match, giving him assurance about the safety. The ECB too had spoken to him about the bubble security. But if he indeed withdraws then India will have to think of bringing in either Suryakumar Yadav or Hanuma Vihari.

In another development, even Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja too could be rested for the fifth Test. Bumrah has already bowled 151 overs in this series so far spreading across four Tests, and India need to manage his workload ahead of IPL 2021 and the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, which will be played back to back in the UAE.

In fact, the players are scheduled to leave to the UAE from Manchester a day after the scheduled conclusion of the final Test on September 14. If Bumrah is indeed rested then Mohammed Shami, who was rested for the Oval Test that India won by 157 runs to take a 2-1 series lead, will take his place.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja too might be rested for the Manchester Test as he is nursing a niggle on his leg. Though the all-rounder is cleared for the match, the team management feels that his workload too should be managed considering the two upcoming big events in the IPL 2021 and in the T20 World Cup.

In that eventuality, R Ashwin, who was recently drafted into the India T20 side for the World Cup, will get his maiden appearance in this series against England.

Possible Playing 11: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ajinkya Rahane/Hanuma Vihari, Ravindra Jadeja/R Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah/Mohammed Shami, Mohammad Siraj.

Story first published: Friday, September 10, 2021, 12:31 [IST]
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