Indian left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh is unlikely to be fit for the fourth Test against England, which is scheduled to begin on July 23 in Manchester. Although Arshdeep hasn’t yet made his Test debut, he was seen as a potential inclusion in the playing eleven if one of the main pacers needed rest.
Unfortunately, during a training session in Beckenham, he injured his left hand while trying to stop a straight shot from Sai Sudharsan on his bowling follow-through. After the incident, Arshdeep was spotted with his bowling hand bandaged as the Indian team prepared to leave for Manchester in hopes of leveling the series following their loss at Lord’s.
Team’s Uncertainty Over Arshdeep’s Recovery
The injury has cast doubt over Arshdeep’s availability for the Manchester Test, as revealed by assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. “We’ll take a call on the combination we play, particularly given the Arshdeep situation as well, we’ll make that call closer to Manchester,” said Doeschate.
He also explained how the injury happened: “He took a ball while he was bowling there, Sai had 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 has taken him off to see a doctor and obviously if he needs stitches or doesn’t need stitches that’s going to be important to our planning for the next few days.” Despite not playing in the first three Tests, Arshdeep was being considered due to workload concerns for the senior pacers.
Concerns Over Fast Bowling Resources
Arshdeep was mainly being viewed as a backup option in case either Jasprit Bumrah or Mohammed Siraj needed to be rested. Both had been crucial to India’s bowling attack, with Bumrah, Siraj, and Akash Deep playing in the third Test at Lord’s. Bumrah’s participation in the fourth Test or the final Test at The Oval remains uncertain, as managing his workload will be vital with the series still undecided.
Meanwhile, there is also no update about Akash Deep, who is reportedly dealing with a groin issue. Siraj, having featured in all the previous games, may also be rested, making the situation around fast bowling combinations more complicated for the Indian team ahead of the next Test.
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