India vs England: ‘Series is yet to be won’, Sunil Gavaskar wants Jasprit Bumrah to play at Old Trafford – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar feels that Jasprit Bumrah should be included in the playing XI for the fifth Test against England, scheduled to begin on Friday, 10 September.

According to Gavaskar, Bumrah, who played a pivotal role in India’s win in the fourth Test, should not be rested for the final Test.

File image of Sunil Gavaskar. Sportzpics

“In my view, you’re still playing for India and the series is yet to be won. If you are 2-0 up, then rest Bumrah,” Gavaskar said on the Sony Sports Network adding that India has not yet won the series, which could still be levelled 2-2.

Bumrah has taken 18 wickets in the India-England Test series and has bowled over 151 hours in the past month. It was Bumrah’s crucial spell on the fourth and fifth day of the fourth Test that led India to a 157-run victory over England at the Oval.

With the Indian Premier League (IPL) set to start on 19 September and the T20 World Cup coming up soon, it will be interesting to see how Bumrah handles the workload.

Gavaskar also advised that Mohammed Shami should be part of the fifth Test, saying that there was “no question about it”. The former Indian captain has suggested that Shami should replace Mohammed Siraj, who performed in an underwhelming manner in the last Test.

“Shami walks into the team. There’s no question about it. The only question is… whether Shami comes in place of Siraj — because he was just off colour in this particular game — so that’s the only area where I see the opportunity to make a change. But he has to come in, there’s no question about it,” Gavaskar added.

The Indian team is eyeing a series win in England, the first in 14 years. The team had last won the Test series in England in 2007, under the captaincy of Rahul Dravid.