Despite having stringent fitness regimes that include the YoYo test, injuries have still taken a toll on Team India just ahead of the crucial Test series against England. Virat Kohli will miss two of his finest pace bowlers — Bhuvneshwar Kumar (aggravated lower back) and Jasprit Bumrah (thumb injury sustained during the first T20I versus Ireland) — as Team India prepare to take on England in the much-anticipated five-Test series from August 1 at Edgbaston.
While Bhuvneshwar has been ruled out of the first three Tests, Bumrah will be available for selection from the second Test onwards depending on his fitness. The absence of the duo from the opening Test has left the bowling department a bit depleted. However, India’s legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar believes India still have depth in their bowling with the likes of Hardik Pandya, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur.
“Bumrah has played three Test matches, but he would have been an integral part of the T20I and ODI series (v England). Bhuvneshwar has been one of our main bowlers in the recent past. Be it bowling in the death overs or building those critical partnerships while batting in the end. So, I think Kohli still has good depth in his bowling (department), but they will be invariably missed without a doubt,” Tendulkar told mid-day on Saturday. Indian pacers (Shami, Ishant, Bhuvneshwar and debutant Bumrah) snapped up 47 wickets between them during their three-Test tour to South Africa where India lost 1-2 earlier in the year.
