Former India player Navjot Singh Sidhu opined on what India’s pace-bowling attack could be for the fifth Test against England without Jasprit Bumrah. The fifth and final Test will begin on Thursday, July 31, at The Oval. Considering his workload management, Bumrah was scheduled to play only three out of the five Tests of the series, which he has already played. It now remains to be seen whether he plays the final Test.

“I feel in the interest of the team alone, two guys, Anshul Kamboj and Shardul Thakur, can be replaced by Kuldeep. There is nothing against anyone. Anshul will learn, but you are here more to make India win than build someone. Shardul also fell short. It will be a rock-hard wicket at The Oval. A spinner can come into a solid zone on the third and fourth days. Have batting till seven. If Bumrah plays fine. There are only three days so he may rest. Then there will be Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna. This should be your bowling attack with Kuldeep. Then you make Washington and Jadeja bowl too. Then it will feel like you are playing to win,” he said on his YouTube channel.

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“India will have to go for a win from here. We need to seize the initiative. This is possible. If Dhruv Jurel plays at six in the next match, Jadeja can come at five as well. You have this option. Look at him as a pure batter. Overseas as a bowler Jadeja is good in a supporting role but he has not been able to win you games and that is evident. Play Washington Sundar at seven,” he again shared.

Notably, Team India are playing their first series without the veterans – Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin in the squad. Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, whereas Rohit and Virat retired from Test cricket before the England tour as well.

“If this Indian captain can make such a plan to go away by leveling the series then it will be a tribute to Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ashwin that the new generation is getting better than the previous one. And they can do it. If you believe, you will achieve,” Navjot Singh Sidhu concluded.

Navjot Singh Sidhu’s India playing XI for 5th Test:

KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna.