ENG vs IND: Rohit Sharma to miss Edgbaston Test, Jasprit Bumrah to lead

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma will miss the rescheduled fifth Test against England, with Jasprit Bumrah set to take charge in his Covid-enforced absence. Rohit’s absence will only further tone down the Indian squad, which is sans KL Rahul, who is missing with a groin injury.

Rohit was a part of the Indian team that took on Leicestershire in a four-day warm-up fixture, although he did not bat in the second innings after being dismissed in the first for 25 by Roman Walker. India have already called up Mayank Agarwal for the Edgbaston encounter, which gets underway from July 1. Agarwal’s last international red-ball game was in March this year, against Sri Lanka at home, however, he was in action for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals.

Rohit, who was India’s best batter with 368 runs at 52.27 in the four Tests of the series last year, has been in isolation ever since he tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday (June 25). “Team India captain Mr Rohit Sharma has tested positive for COVID-19 following a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on Saturday. He is currently in isolation at the team hotel and is under the care of the BCCI Medical Team. An RT-PCR test will be conducted on Sunday to ascertain his CT value,” a BCCI statement had notified.

The BCCI had named KL Rahul as Rohit’s deputy for the series, however, he picked up a groin injury that also ruled him out of the home T20I series against South Africa, which India drew 2-2 under Rishabh Pant. As it stands, Rohit’s replacement Agarwal is likely to open the innings alongside Shubman Gill, with some voices for Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari to don that role.

It is understood that the think tank will zero in on an option closer to the match but that may or may not be revealed until the toss. Meanwhile, this will be Bumrah’s maiden Test as captain, with him having deputised for KL Rahul in the Johannesburg Test in the injury-enforced absence of then skipper Virat Kohli, during India’s South Africa tour.

As for the current series, India, with victories at Lord’s and the Oval, lead the series 2-1 and stand a chance to clinch their first Test series win in England after 2007-08, when Rahul Dravid and Co. won 1-0.