Bumrah out of SA Tests with back injury

NEW DELHI: India’s premier paceman Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against South Africa with a stress fracture in his lower back, the country’s cricket board said Tuesday.

Umesh Yadav will replace Bumrah, who tops the bowling chart in one-day rankings and is placed third in Tests, in the 15-man squad for the three Tests starting October 2 in Visakhapatnam.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said “the injury was detected during a routine radiological screening”. “He will now undergo rehabilitation at NCA (National Cricket Academy) and will be monitored by the BCCI Medical Team,” the statement added.

India squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill.