Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant are expected to participate in the third match of the unofficial Test series between India A and New Zealand A, scheduled to take place from November 7 to 10 in Lincoln.

Training at the Centre of Excellence

Both players are presently undergoing training at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Bumrah arrived at the facility on Monday, while Pant reached on Friday. Bumrah’s visit satisfies the mandatory return-to-play protocols ahead of a series before he departs for New Zealand on November 1. His last appearance occurred during the Asian Games in Japan, where India secured the gold medal in early October. Although rested for the home white-ball series against West Indies and the T20I and ODI segments of the ongoing New Zealand tour, Bumrah has been training in Ahmedabad.

Recovery and Squad Placements

Pant is currently recovering from a side strain sustained during the Irani Cup, where he captained Rest of India to a win against Jammu & Kashmir in the first week of October. This injury forced him to miss the first round of the Ranji Trophy for Delhi and the initial two unofficial Tests against New Zealand A, pending a fitness clearance from the BCCI medical staff. Pant has commenced light training at the Centre of Excellence, involving batting drills, though wicketkeeping has not started yet. Kumar Kushagra from Jharkhand serves as Pant’s replacement for the first two four-day matches against New Zealand A. Both Bumrah and Pant feature in India’s squad for the two-match Test series against New Zealand, set for Wellington from November 19 to 23 and Christchurch from November 27 to December 1.

Source: ESPNcricinfo

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