Jasprit Bumrah set to play in do-or-die Test, Arshdeep Singh gets cut on bowling hand during nets session
Medical team assessing the pacer’s condition, Ryan ten Doeschate says; assistant coach adds ‘pretty obvious we will be a leaning towards playing’ Bumrah in the Manchester Test, starting July 23.
India's Jasprit Bumrah holds the ball aloft and shows it to the crowd after taking a five-wicket haul on Day 3 of the 1st Test match against England, at Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds on Sunday. (@BCCI X/ANI Photo)
While Jasprit Bumrah looks certain to play in the all-important fourth Test against England, Team India is staring at another injury blow after pacer Arshdeep Singh suffered a cut on his bowling hand during nets in Manchester on Thursday.
Arshdeep, who is yet to feature in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, suffered a cut while stopping a ball hit by Sai Sudharsan on his follow-through. After the session concluded, the medical team swung into action, checking if the 26-year-old would require stitches.
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This was India’s first practice session after suffering a 22-run loss to England in the third Test of the series to go 2-1 down. Arshdeep Singh hasn’t been entrusted with a spot yet in Tests but if the team management chooses to rest one of the pacers, he was in the running to make his debut. That, however, will now depend on the extent of his injury.
India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said: “Arshdeep took a ball while he was bowling there, Sai hit a ball and he tried to stop it and it’s just a cut. So we have to see how bad the cut is. Obviously, the medical team have taken him off to see a doctor and obviously, if he needs stitches or doesn’t need stitches it’s going to be important to our planning for the next few days.”
The tourists are already faced with concerns over the injury to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. He was struck on the index finger of his left hand as he attempted to collect a Jasprit Bumrah delivery that flew down the leg side during England’s first innings on Day 1 of the Lord’s Test. Pant was in visible pain and did not keep wickets for the rest of the Test. India captain Shubman Gill, however, said Pant will be fit to play in the fourth Test, starting July 23 in Manchester.
Doeschate, meanwhile, all but confirmed that pace spearhead Bumrah, too, will play the do-or-die Test. “We’ll make that call in Manchester. We know we’ve got him for one of the last two Tests. I think it’s pretty obvious the series is on the line now in Manchester, so there will be a leaning towards playing him,” he said.
Sandeep Dwivedi is the Sports Editor at The Indian Express. He is one of India's most prominent sports journalists, known for his deep analytical insights and storytelling that often goes beyond scores and statistics to explore the human and cultural side of sports.
Professional Profile
Role: As the Sports Editor, he leads the sports coverage for the newspaper and the website.
Weekly Column: He writes "The Sports Column," a weekly feature where he provides sharp, narrative-driven perspectives on the biggest sporting news of the week.
Podcast: He is a frequent contributor to the "Express Sports" podcast (Game Time), where he discusses evolving trends in cricket and other international sports.
Areas of Expertise
While Dwivedi covers the entire sporting spectrum, his work is particularly noted in the following areas:
Cricket: He provides extensive coverage of the Indian National Team and the IPL. He frequently analyzes the leadership styles of figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir. He is known for tracking the transition phases of Indian cricket and the evolution of specific players like Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant.
Athletics & Olympic Sports: He has written extensively on Neeraj Chopra’s rise in javelin, the nuances of Indian shooting, and tennis legends like Sania Mirza and Leander Paes.
Human Interest Stories: A hallmark of his writing is his focus on the struggles and backgrounds of athletes, such as the sacrifices made by Shafali Verma’s father or the "silent battles" of veteran players like Cheteshwar Pujara.
Notable Recent Work & Themes
Leadership and Dynamics: Recently, he has written about the dynamic between Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, arguing that personal friendship is not a prerequisite for team success.
Sports & Culture: His articles often intersect with global culture, such as his deep dive into the 100-year legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters and their role as American soft power during the Cold War.
The "Grey Areas" of Sport: He often addresses sensitive topics like the mental health of cricketers post-retirement, the "outrage industry" in sports broadcasting, and the impact of fan-wars on the game.
Tenure and Experience
Dwivedi has been with The Indian Express for over three decades. This experience allows him to provide historical context to modern sporting events, often comparing current crises or triumphs to those of previous generations.
You can follow his latest work and columns on his official Indian Express Author Profile. ... Read More
