IND vs NZ: BCCI gives concerning update on Jasprit Bumrah’s absence from 3rd Test vs New Zealand

before taking on New Zealand in the series’ third and final Test match at Mumbai’s storied Wankhede Stadium. The absence of Jasprit Bumrah, the top bowler, from the playing XI caused problems for Team India in addition to a selection dilemma.

It is noteworthy that Bumrah rarely misses a national event. The task management issue is the lone exception; his back surgery was also a unique situation. This is significant since the hosts have already lost the Test series and are playing the Blackcaps in the current World Test Championship (WTC 2023-25 cycle).

However, the Indian team’s next tour is to Australia, which is regarded as one of the most difficult obstacles for any team in the world to conquer. In order to avoid an unimaginable whitewash of the hosts on Indian soil, it will be very important to finish the series on a positive note. Though losing even one game here could make things difficult for either club, both will eventually want to guarantee their spot in the WTC final.

Bumrah skipping a test at this time can therefore be concerning. The pacer’s viral sickness and lack of full recovery are the main causes, according to a worrying report from the Indian board, often known as the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India). However, even at the toss, Captain Rohit Sharma explained why Bumrah was not participating in the third Test, which started on Friday, November 1.

“The viral sickness that Mr. Jasprit Bumrah had has not entirely healed. On their ‘X’ handle, BCCI stated that he was not available for selection for the third Test in Mumbai.

Check out the latest post of BCCI here:

UPDATE:

Mr Jasprit Bumrah has not fully recovered from his viral illness. He was unavailable for selection for the third Test in Mumbai.#TeamIndia | #INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 1, 2024

Latham wins the toss, Siraj takes Bumrah’s place, and New Zealand bats first.

Jasprit Bumrah has been replaced by another pacer, Mohammed Siraj. In addition, New Zealand won the toss and decided to bat first. Captain Sharma believed his bowlers would limit the visitors as soon as possible in order to get them out cheaply.

“We acknowledge that our performance in this series has been lacking. It seems like a strong pitch. We’re hoping to limit them as soon as feasible. We are concentrating on this Test match. “Siraj steps in for Bumrah because he’s not feeling well,” Rohit stated during the toss.

However, Tom Latham, the captain of New Zealand, thought it would be wise to bat first on the field and hoped his team would score a lot of runs again in the series to put pressure on India. Additionally, he made mockery of Test cricket after winning a historic series in India by bringing up the Sri Lanka visit, in which the Kiwis lost badly. Though the outcome might not have reflected that, Latham still thought the side played some decent cricket on that tour.

“We will be using a bat. It appears to be a fairly nice surface; hopefully, you will score some runs once again and apply some pressure later. I’m definitely paying attention to this game. Before the second Test in Pune, we had a conversation about it. We performed a fantastic job in Bangalore, but we had to swiftly shift our attention to that second Test, and nothing changed,” Latham said.

“This game presents a fresh opportunity. Test cricket is an entertaining game. I don’t believe we played too poorly in Sri Lanka. Regretfully, you can simply end up on the wrong side of the outcome. In the past two weeks, I don’t think we’ve changed all that much,” he added.

“We’ve made an effort to play our style of cricket and keep things straightforward. This game, we’re hoping for more of the same.

Also Read: Watch: Washington Sundar’s Carbon Copy Castles Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra in IND 3rd Test vs NZ

It’s about getting as close to the surface as you can. Mitch Santner is suffering from a mild side strain. Ish Sodhi enters. Tim Southee is replaced by Matt Henry, who is fit,” Latham said.

India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj.