Shubman Gill says Bumrah absence offers chance for other India bowlers

India captain Shubman Gill told his bowlers that Jasprit Bumrah’s absence creates an opportunity for them to step up in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka that starts in Galle on Saturday. Bumrah was ruled out after failing to recover from the left knee injury he picked up during the ODI series in England last month.

Gill said the side must create wicket-taking opportunities on subcontinent pitches, especially on days one and two when the surface offers little assistance. He named Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar and uncapped Auqib Nabi among the pace options, while Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar lead the spin choices.

The two-match series counts towards the World Test Championship. India sit fifth on the points table and need several wins to reach the final. The second Test begins in Colombo on August 23.