India are fretting over the injury issues to Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh as they look to bounce back in the ongoing Test series against England. Both the bowlers have picked up injuries ahead of the fourth Test and the BCCI has reportedly added Haryana speedster Anshul Kamboj as cover for the remaining two Tests.
Akash played in the last two Test matches and played a vital role in India beating England in Birmingham. The Bengal pacer picked up a match of 10 wickets, including six in the second innings as the visitors won the clash by 336 runs.
Akash was below-par in the third Test at Lord's, going wicketless in the first innings and scalping only one in the second installment as he struggled to bowl from the Pavilion End.
He has now picked up a groin niggle and is likely to be out of the fourth Test. If he misses the Manchester Test, the visitors will have to ring in a forced change with the series now on the line as India are trailing 1-2.
Players who can come in for Akash
1 - Anshul Kamboj: Kamboj can be in line for an India debut as Arshdeep is also unlikely to play following his blow to his bowling hand in the nets. Kamboj is a skiddy bowler who can be a useful option for the visitors at Old Trafford. Moreover, he is also a handy batter and can score some crucial runs.
2 - Prasidh Krishna: Prasidh can also be in line for a return, after having played the first two Test matches and missing the Lord's Test. Prasidh was not much impressive in the second Test, which made him make way for Bumrah's return. Krishna is a hit the deck hard bowler and can benefit from his height.
3 - Shardul Thakur: Shardul Thakur is another option who can come in for the injured Akash. Thakur featured in the first Test before making way for Nitish Kumar Reddy in the next two games. Thakur is also a pretty handy batter lower down the order, which will boost India's lower-order batting.
