India’s captain Shubman Gill said the team has not yet decided if fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will play in the final Test match against England at The Oval. The decision will be made on the day of the match. India is behind 1-2 in the five-match series and must win the last game to level the series.
Gill spoke at a press conference and said, “We will decide tomorrow. The pitch looks very green, so let’s wait and see.” He also mentioned that Arshdeep Singh has been asked to be ready. If Bumrah is rested again, Arshdeep may get a chance to play his first-ever Test match. “He has been told to be prepared,” Gill said. “We’ll pick the final team after we check the pitch again.”
Bumrah missed the fourth Test in Manchester, which ended in a draw. The team is thinking of resting him again, and Arshdeep is being looked at as a possible replacement.
Gill also talked about the spin bowlers. He said the team is happy to go with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, even though England has not chosen a main spinner for the match. “We trust Jadeja and Sundar to handle the spin,” he said.
Gill said a 2-2 draw in the series would still be a good result. He said all the matches were tough and close. “It was hard to say who would win after four days in each game,” he said. “Every match has taught us something, and we hope to finish well.”
He also talked about some heated moments during the series. There were arguments on the field, including one between Gill and Zak Crawley, and another moment when Jadeja refused to stop playing in low light. But Gill said these things happen in cricket. “Both teams are trying to win,” he said. “Sometimes emotions get high. But after the match ends, we respect each other.”
A recent issue happened during a training session when India’s coach Gautam Gambhir had a disagreement with the Oval pitch curator, Lee Fortis. Gambhir tried to take a closer look at the pitch but was stopped and told to stay 2.5 to 3 meters away. This surprised the Indian team.
Gill said he didn’t understand why the curator stopped them. “We’ve played here before and never faced this kind of problem,” he said. “As long as you wear rubber-soled shoes or go barefoot, you should be allowed to check the pitch closely. I don’t see why it became a big issue.”
When asked if Gambhir was under pressure or upset, Gill said no. “Not really,” he said. “It was just strange to be told to stay far from the pitch. That’s not something we’ve seen before.”
Gill made it clear that the team has moved on from all these small issues. He said they are focused on the final game. “Whatever happened before is over,” he said. “Now we just want to play our best and try to win the last match.”
The final Test starts on Thursday, and India needs a win to draw the series 2-2.