Jasprit Bumrah could be rested for the fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy while England captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of it altogether. Through all of it, though, Mohammed Siraj is expected to feature yet again for India and lead the pace attack if Bumrah does sit it out. Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel has stated that Siraj has almost been taken for granted while hailing the 31-year-old for his efforts throughout the series.
Siraj, who has played in all the Tests of the series, has taken 14 wickets in the series with an average of 39.71 in seven innings and has so far taken 114 wickets in 40 Test matches in his career. While the BCCI medical team has recommended Bumrah not to be considered for the final Test at The Oval starting Thursday, Siraj will be leading the Indian bowling attack. Parthiv hailed Siraj’s effort and termed it as ‘commendable’
“We tend to take Mohammed Siraj for granted. The effort he puts in, the intensity, and the smile he wears — no matter the match situation — that’s commendable,” Parthiv said on the JioHotstar show Gameplan.
“As for Bumrah, we’re all aware of how carefully his workload is being managed. It was announced at the press conference that he would play only three Tests, so there are a lot of factors to consider — recovery, fitness, workload. But I would personally want to see him play the final one. Hopefully, the support staff travelling with the team can help him recover in time.”
India have kept Kuldeep Yadav out of their playing XI throughout the series. They stayed alive in it with all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, along with earlier herculean efforts from Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, grinding out a draw in the fourth Test.
With Bumrah expected to miss the last Test, Patel believes India should play Kuldeep Yadav as an ‘attacking bowler’. “India should approach selection the way they’ve approached their batting — with confidence. If Bumrah isn’t available, India will need another attacking bowler. In this current bowling mix, Kuldeep Yadav offers that attacking edge as a wicket-taker. So from that perspective, I believe India should find a way to include him. Whether it happens or not, I’m not sure — but my opinion is that Kuldeep Yadav should definitely play,” he said.
