Rohit Sharma doesn’t take the field in Dharamsala Test due to stiff back

NewsBumrah took charge of India in his absence

India captain Rohit Sharma, suffering a stiff back, did not take the field at the start of the third day of the the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala. The designated vice-captain, Jasprit Bumrah, took charge of the team.

Rohit has enjoyed rich returns over the back end of the series, scoring centuries in two of the last three Tests. He was instrumental in establishing India’s advantage in Dharamsala, bringing up his 12th Test century and his 10th at home. With all five of the top-order making fifty-plus scores, the hosts were able to take a lead of 259 as the game moved forward.

Rohit had partnerships of 104 and 171 with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill respectively as India took hold of the game despite losing the toss. Jaiswal made 57, his fifth score of 50 or more in this series – two of which he converted into double-centuries. Gill went on to score his second century of the series.

India have faced a spate of injuries over the course of the series. Mohammed Shami (ankle injury) and Virat Kohli (birth of his second child) have not been involved at all. KL Rahul has missed all but the first Test, recovering from a quadricep tendon injury. Ravindra Jadeja wasn’t available for the second Test with a hamstring injury. R Ashwin had to leave the team in Rajkot briefly to attend to a family emergency. Bumrah was rested for the fourth Test in Ranchi. And Rajat Patidar has been nursing a sore ankle. All of India’s first-choice players have the IPL coming up, on March 22 through to May, which then leads into the T20 World Cup in June.

India are leading the series against England 3-1, bouncing back from a defeat in Hyderabad to win three on the trot.