India find themselves between a rock and a hard place as they consider whether to select fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah for the fourth Test against England in Manchester next week with the series on the line.
Bumrah has been among the top wicket takers in the series despite playing only two out of the three Tests. However, despite his presence India find themselves trailing the five-match series 2-1 after a heartbreaking 22-run defeat in the Lord's Test.
Before the series started, it was announced that Bumrah will play only three out of the five Tests due to workload management; the right-arm quick had injured his back during the previous five-match series in Australia which ruled him out for months.
While Bumrah has been among the wickets, he has been unable to have a big impact in the second innings of both Tests he played, and which India coincidentally lost.
Now India are left with a tough decision – push Bumrah to play the fourth Test which begins on Wednesday or give him enough rest for bigger white-ball assignments like the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup.
If England win the fourth Test, they will take an unassailable lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. That would be a tough initiation into Test captaincy for Shubman Gill and possibly cost coach Gautam Gambhir his red-ball duties after heavy defeats at home to New Zealand and in Australia.
Which so much uncertainty, India are considering playing Bumrah in the next match rather than preserving him for the final Test at the Oval.
“We know we have got him for one of the last two Tests,” assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said.
“It's pretty obvious that the series is on the line now in Manchester, so there will be a leaning towards playing him.
“But again, we have got to look at all the factors: how many days of cricket are we going to get up there, what do we feel is our best chance of winning that game, and then how that fits in together with the Oval.”
England call in reinforcements
England have handed spinner Liam Dawson a Test recall after an eight-year absence, with the 35-year-old replacing the injured Shoaib Bashir.
Dawson made the last of his three Test appearances in 2017 but Bashir's finger injury has paved the way for a comeback.
Bashir took the match-winning wicket in a tense finish at Lord's on Monday evening, having already broken the little finger on his left hand, and is set for surgery in the coming days.
England have run through a host of different spinning options since Dawson, but his consistently impressive performances have persuaded the selectors to draft him in for the fourth Test.
England also released seamers Jamie Overton and Sam Cook to play in the county championship, with Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson retained as additional pace options in a 14-man squad.
Chris Woakes could be rested in Manchester after struggling to find his best form this summer but one player who has no intention of sitting out is Jofra Archer.
He played a key role in the thrilling 22-run win at Lord's – his first match back after a four-and-a-half-year injury absence. Archer routinely cleared the 90mph mark, struck with his third ball of the match and took two vital wickets on the final morning.
England have carefully managed his return to action but now that he has the taste for it, Archer does not want to rest.
“I don't want to lose this series. I told Keysy (ECB managing director Rob Key) that I wanted to play the Test summer and I wanted to play the Ashes.
“I think one tick is already there and I will do everything possible in my power to be on the plane in November, or just before.”
