London: The beleaguered Indian team received a boost Tuesday with pacer Jasprit Bumrah being declared fit and available for selection for the third Test against England starting Saturday in Nottingham.
Bumrah missed the first two Tests due to a fracture on his left thumb sustained during the T20 series against Ireland. He underwent surgery July 4 in Leeds and underwent rehabilitation back in India, before being called up for the Test series. Even so, it remains to be seen whether he will be included in the playing XI without having any proper match time.
In another important development, both Ravichandran Ashwin and Hardik Pandya have also been declared fit. Both suffered blows to their bowling hands while batting in the second innings at Lord’s.
Skipper Virat Kohli who suffered a back problem in the second innings of the second Test is in a race against time to get completely fit for the third Test. He has confirmed his availability albeit with the rider that he might not be able to field or run between the wickets up to a 100 per cent of his ability.
Passionate plea
London: Embattled India captain Virat Kohli called on the fans to back his team following consecutive losses to England in the ongoing Test series. “Sometimes we win and other times we learn. You never give up on us and we promise to never give up on you either. Onwards and upwards,” read a message on Kohli’s official FB page. The brief post was accompanied by a picture of the Indian team in an on-field huddle.
