Umesh bolsters India fast-bowling ranks for concluding England Tests

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London, February 17: Umesh Yadav has replaced Shardul Thakur in India's squad to face England in the final two Tests of their four-match series.

Virat Kohli's men responded to their 227-run defeat in the opening match with an even more resounding 317-run triumph this week.

After those matches in Chennai, the series will conclude with back-to-back games in Ahmedabad - the first of which will be a day-night Test.

That might mean an increased emphasis on seam bowling, making Umesh's return from the calf injury he sustained during the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne timely.

The 33-year-old, who has 148 Test wickets at 30.54, will undergo a fitness test before joining up with his team-mates and a fast-bowling group of Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

Thakur has not featured in the England series and was released alongside reserves Priyank Panchal, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Shahbaz Nadeem to take part in India's domestic 50-over competition.

Opening batsman Easwaran being allowed to depart suggests the forearm injury that kept Shubman Gill off the field on day four of the second Test is not something that will threaten his participation next week.

India squad for the third and fourth Tests against England: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav.