Reports: Call on Bhuvneshwar Kumar's Test career to be taken after T20 World Cup 2021

With Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw all set to travel to England for the Indian team’s five-match Test series, fans, critics, and experts expected fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar too to be in the team. While initially there were rumors that he won’t play in the red-ball format, later Kumar cleared the air by stating he will play in the longest format of the game for India sooner rather than later.

The 31-year-old last donned the whites for India in 2018 against South Africa. Since then, he has been hit by injuries, which has made his return to the Test team a bit difficult. Young fast bowlers such as Mohammed Siraj, T Natarajan, and Shardul Thakur too have entered the scene, which has made selectors choosing Kumar a bit of a problem.

Now it has been learned that a call on Bhuvneshwar Kumar  playing in the red-ball format will be taken after the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021. If sources are to be believed, then the right-hand bowler’s name was also discussed as a replacement player for the England series as well as, the World Test Championship (WTC) Final.

“The board had a discussion with Bhuvneshwar. It has been decided that he won’t be pushed to play Test cricket before the T20 World Cup. He has to first play three-four First-Class games. He hasn’t played a longer format for over three years. There’s a chance of him breaking down if he suddenly resumes playing Test cricket,” a top BCCI official told TOI.

India is set to tour South Africa in December in 2021 and during that time a call on Kumar will be taken if he is fit enough to bowl long spells in Test cricket.

Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw set to join the team in England

After much speculation, Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw will be joining the team for the five-match Test series starting on August 4 against England. The duo seemed in good form during the ODI series against Sri Lanka. If Yadav was as crisp as ever, then Shaw was aggressive at the top giving India flying starts. The duo’s presence in the team sure gives India an advantage in the batting department.