Akash Deep likely to make Test debut against England in Ranchi

The rumours officially became true when the BCCI said late on Tuesday night that Jasprit Bumrah had been cut from the India team for the fourth Test against England. Before the third Test, there had been conjecture over India's imminent relocation; however, although Bumrah was present in Rajkot, he did not accompany the Indian squad to Ranchi. According to the BCCI: 'The decision was taken keeping in mind the duration of the series and amount of cricket he has played in recent times.'

Following the call, India had two choices for the second seamer to Mohammed Siraj: Mukesh Kumar, who was added to the India squad for the fourth Test after being released ahead of the Rajkot tie, and Akash Deep, who was already in the squad and has not yet made his debut for his country.

Since Mukesh has been with the squad since the start of the series, he should ideally be the pick to replace Bumrah in the playing XI for India. But after a subdued performance against the England batting in the second Test at Visakhapatnam, when he was struggling on the flat ground and finished with numbers of 1 for 70, Mukesh was left out of the team before the third match. In the second innings, he was only able to remove No. 10, Shoaib Bashir.

But last week, on a seam-friendly Eden Gardens pitch, the Bengal fast bounced back to achieve his first-ever first-class ten-wicket haul against Bihar in the Ranji Trophy encounter. Although he could get another shot in the Test series against England based on his achievements in local cricket, Akash is expected to make his longer format debut for India on Friday, according to an Indian Express article.

For what reason is Akash Deep a better choice than Mukesh Kumar to succeed Jasprit Bumrah?

First of all, a disclaimer: Bumrah is among the greatest fast bowlers India has ever produced. He took the most wickets in the series with 17 at a mere 13.41 in just six innings. Therefore, Bumrah's services would be missed in India regardless of the modifications made, as there will only be a downsizing of the pace department. But it's also a must.

If the recent visit to South Africa taught us anything, it's that India has to develop strong backup pace alternatives.

Bumrah's back ailment is a concern, therefore he won't play in every India match. The think tank is focused on managing his workload to ensure he is healthy for important matches. Mohammaed Shami, 33, is concluding his playing career. In the hierarchy, Prasidh Krishna, who was given a chance in the Proteas series, is now lower. Mukesh still hasn't shown that he can handle the same level of accountability as Siraj and Bumrah. India must therefore discover additional choices for its pace department.

Though it's a risky move, India, leading the series 2-1, would be better served to assess Akash's skills in Ranchi before Bumrah returns for the series finale in Dharamsala. Akash is faster and hits the deck harder than Mukesh, who has an upright seam more akin to Shami.

The Bengal fast bowler, who was also chosen in the Indian team for the Asian Games and the ODI series in South Africa, was called up for the first time for a Test match after making an outstanding display for India A against the England Lions. In two matches, he claimed 11 wickets at a rate of 16.95, including two four-wicket hauls.

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