Brisbane: An all out effort is being made so that Jasprit Bumrah can play in the fourth Test against Australia which begins here Friday. Batting coach Vikram Rathour is working closely with the medical team. A final decision on his inclusion in the playing XI will be taken Friday morning.
“The medical team is working with Bumrah. We have to see tomorrow morning whether he is fit to play the fourth Test or not. If he can play, he will play, if he cannot, then he won’t,” Rathour said on the eve of fourth Test.
“The injuries are still being monitored. Our medical staff is looking into it. I would not be in a position to comment on this right now. We would like to give them as much time as possible. It will be tomorrow morning that you will know which eleven takes the field,” Rathour added.
Sources said Thursday that the team management is ready to take a risk and even include in the team a 50 per cent fit Bumrah. It should be stated here that Bumrah suffered an abdominal strain during the third Test at Sydney. Without Bumrah, the bowling options for India would be severely restricted. Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur and T Natarajan have a total of four Tests among themselves. Hence the pace attack will be completely inexperienced. So the management is ready to include even a half-fit Bumrah in the playing XI.
“Look injuries or no injuries, India will field their best playing XI under the present conditions,” Rathour asserted.
It is also not clear as to how much Ravichandran Ashwin has recovered from the back strain. Sources however, indicated that Ashwin will play even though he has not bowled at the nets since the Sydney game ended.