Bumrah back for India’s limited-overs series v Sri Lanka, Australia

Wednesday, 25 December 2019 00:54 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Jasprit Bumrah celebrates Hashim Amla’s wicket - Getty Images

ESPNcricinfo: Jasprit Bumrah is back in India’s limited-overs squads for their home series against Sri Lanka and Australia. The fast bowler had been out of action with a stress fracture of the back since the end of India’s tour of the West Indies in August. India will play three T20Is against Sri Lanka followed by three ODIs against Australia in January.

Meanwhile, limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma and fast bowler Mohammed Shami have been rested for the Sri Lanka series. Shikhar Dhawan returns to both squads following a quick recovery from the ankle bruising he suffered during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in December. Dhawan’s selection also means Mayank Agarwal, who was the reserve opener for the West Indies ODIs, returns to the first-class circuit with Karnataka.

Sanju Samson, who had replaced Dhawan in the T20I squad for the West Indies series, keeps his place in the T20I squad. Samson made a century in his most recent Ranji Trophy outing for Kerala against Bengal last week.

Bumrah was withdrawn from the Test squad for the series against South Africa at home in September-October after the stress fracture surfaced. His previous appearance for India was in the second Test against West Indies in Kingston, during which he became the third Indian after Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan to take a hat-trick in the format.

Last week, Bumrah trained full tilt with the India team ahead of the second ODI against West Indies in Visakhapatnam. He is likely to play for Gujarat in the upcoming round of the Ranji Trophy starting 25 December to prove his match fitness.

Deepak Chahar misses out from both squads due to a back injury that ruled him out of the third ODI against West Indies, with Navdeep Saini taking his place. The Delhi fast bowler picked up two wickets on ODI debut as India went on to clinch the ODI series 2-1 in Cuttack. Bhuvneshwar Kumar doesn’t figure either, after being originally selected for the ODI series against West Indies. He was diagnosed with a groin injury that forced his withdrawal. Shardul Thakur, the Mumbai pacer, keeps his place as a result.

Thakur played two of the three ODIs against West Indies. He picked up two wickets, and made a quickfire, unbeaten 17 in Ravindra Jadeja’s company to help seal a tense chase in Cuttack. Kedar Jadhav, meanwhile, kept his ODI spot for the Australia series.

There was no place yet for Hardik Pandya, as he continues his recovery from a back injury. The allrounder, however, is part of the India A 50-overs squad that will tour New Zealand ahead of the senior team’s full tour of the country, which begins in late January. That squad will also include the Mumbai batsman Suryakumar Yadav, whose form in domestic cricket had led to speculation about a possible ODI call-up.