ENG vs IND 2025: Jasprit Bumrah likely to miss Oval Test

India are likely to take the field without their ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval, starting Thursday. The BCCI medical team has advised Bumrah to rest, prioritising his long-term fitness and managing workload concerns. Akash Deep, who missed the fourth Test due to a groin injury, is likely to be Bumrah’s replacement in the playing XI.

Bumrah’s exclusion from the final Test isn’t a last-minute decision. As per initial plans between the team management, selectors, and Bumrah himself, the speedster was only scheduled to play three out of the five Tests on the England tour. He featured in the first, third, and fourth Tests, sitting out the second. Despite his impressive run, joint-second-highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps, concerns about a consistent back issue led to the call to rest him for the series finale.

The 31-year-old bowled 33 overs during the Manchester Test, the most in an innings in his career, and for the first time conceded over 100 runs. Notably, his pace dipped through the series, with balls clocked above 140 km/h reducing from 42.7% at Headingley to just 0.5% at Old Trafford.

Akash Deep recovers fully from groin injury

With Bumrah ruled out, Akash Deep is the frontrunner to come back in. The Bengal seamer had a memorable second Test at Edgbaston with a 10-wicket match haul, including a brilliant 6 for 99 in England's second innings. Despite a less effective outing at Lord’s, conditions at The Oval, historically helpful to seamers, may favour his bowling style.

Having recovered fully from the groin injury that kept him out in Manchester, Akash impressed during India’s practice session at The Oval. Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj, who has featured in all four Tests, is expected to lead the pace unit once again. Though his workload has been heavy, fourth-most overs bowled by any seamer in the series (139), assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak stated that Siraj’s weekly load remains within limits, tracked via GPS monitoring.

Meanwhile, India face a selection call for the third seamer with the options including Prasidh Krishna, who hasn’t featured since the second Test, and Arshdeep Singh, who has recovered from a hand injury. Shardul Thakur may also retain his place for batting depth, especially with Rishabh Pant ruled out and Dhruv Jurel keeping wickets.