BCCI have announced India’s updated squad for the fifth and final Test of the ongoing series against England in Dharamsala.

When does the fifth Test start?

The fifth Test starts in Dharamsala on March 7. India will head into the game with an unassailable lead of 3-1 in the five-match series, having won the fourth Test in Ranchi.

This will be just the second Test match to be played in Dharamsala after the India-Australia Test in 2017.

What’s the injury status of KL Rahul?

Rahul, who has not featured in the XI since the first Test in Hyderabad, has still not fully recovered from the right quadriceps injury, and has been ruled out of the fifth Test as well.

After missing the second Test match, in Visakhapatnam, he was all but certain to make a comeback in the third, before being ruled out at the last minute. Now, he has been sent to London to consult specialists, as per the release: “The BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring him and coordinating with specialists in London for further management of his issue.”

Jasprit Bumrah returns

Bumrah, who was rested for the fourth Test in Ranchi, is all set to be back in the squad for the fifth. He had taken 17 wickets from the first three games in the series before being released from the squad to manage his workload. Debutant Akash Deep had replaced him in the XI at Ranchi.

KL Rahul – Ruled out ❌
Jasprit Bumrah – Back in the squad ✅

India will face England in the fifth Test in Dharamshala starting from March 7, 2024.#KLRahul #JaspritBumrah #India #INDvsENG #Tests #Cricket pic.twitter.com/XRDc9F1GS6

— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) February 29, 2024

Other updates

Washington Sundar has been released from the squad, making him available for Tamil Nadu’s Ranji Trophy semi-final against Mumbai starting March 2. BCCI’s press release mentions that he will rejoin the Indian squad after the Ranji Trophy match if required.

BCCI’s release also mentioned that Mohammed Shami, who has been nursing an ankle injury, has successfully undergone surgery and is expected to head to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) soon to start his rehabilitation.

India’s squad for fifth Test vs England:

Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.

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