Bumrah, who was to be rested for the Rajkot Test, will now take a break next week during the Ranchi game as part of the workload management given there’s an IPL and T20 World Cup to follow.
The rest will mean nearly a 20-day break for Bumrah, before he returns for the series finale in Dharamsala, which kicks off on March 7. The return for the series finale will also depend on the result of the Ranchi Test.
In six innings in the series, Bumrah has bowled 8.3, 16.1, 15.5, 17.2, 15 and 8, a total of more than 80 overs in the last three weeks.
Bumrah is likely to be replaced by Mukesh Kumar or a fourth spinner, if the track is a rank turner. Mukesh, who was released from the squad during the third Test to play in Ranji Trophy, took 10 wickets for Bengal against Bihar in the match including a four-fer in the first innings, followed by a 6-wicket haul in the second.
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