ENG vs IND: Why is Jasprit Bumrah not playing the third ODI?

India won the toss in the blockbuster series decider against hosts England in Manchester and decided to bowl first. The big news from the toss came from the Indian camp as skipper Rohit Sharma revealed that India’s in-form star pacer Jasprit Bumrah missed the finale due to a niggle. Mohammad Siraj replaced the spearhead in the team while England announced an unchanged eleven for the match.

India and England are squaring up in an intense series finale at Old Trafford on Sunday, the 17th of July, with the three-match ODI series level at 1-1. The hosts levelled the series after a comprehensive win in the second ODI, following their abject failure in the series opener. Meanwhile, India will have their work cut out against a star-studded English batting line-up in the absence of their bowling spearhead.

After Bumrah’s omission was revealed at the toss, the BCCI updated the situation on the Indian pacer and stated that the 28-year-old was suffering from a back spasm, and thus wasn’t risked in the third and final ODI. Arshdeep Singh, who is also a part of the ODI squad, wasn’t considered for the match since he is recovering from a right abdominal strain.

The series decider is going to be an exciting clash between two heavyweight white ball teams

Rohit Sharma will hope for better application from his batters in the final ODI after an abysmal showing in the previous encounter. India were bundled out for 146 runs in their chase of England’s par total of 246. There was some assistance for the bowlers at Lord’s, especially earlier in the innings, but the Indian batters didn’t help themselves much either, losing their wickets off innocuous deliveries.

The bowlers have had their say in the series so far. Still, the pitch in Manchester looks like a decent batting wicket, and we can expect a much tighter contest between bat and bowl compared to the previous two occasions where the bowlers have dominated the proceedings for the majority of the game. According to recent outcomes, the team batting first usually ends up on the winning side, and Jos Buttler’s side will hope that’s the case on Sunday.