Bumrah, Pant Likely to Return to Action in Third India A Test Against New Zealand A

India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is likely to feature in the third unofficial Test between India A and New Zealand A, while wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is also in contention for a place in the playing XI as both players work towards regaining full match fitness ahead of India’s upcoming Test series.

The four-day match is scheduled to begin on November 7 in Lincoln, New Zealand. According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, both players are currently training at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. Pant arrived at the facility on Friday, while Bumrah reported on Monday.

Bumrah’s visit to the CoE is part of the mandatory return-to-play process that players must complete before joining a team for an international series. He is expected to travel to New Zealand on November 1. The fast bowler last played during India’s gold-medal-winning campaign at the Asian Games in Japan earlier this month. He was subsequently rested for the home white-ball series against the West Indies and the ongoing T20I and ODI matches on India’s New Zealand tour.

Pant, meanwhile, has been recovering from a side strain sustained during the Irani Cup in early October, where he captained Rest of India to victory over Jammu and Kashmir. The injury ruled him out of Delhi’s Ranji Trophy opener and the first two four-day matches against New Zealand A.

The left-handed batter has resumed light training, including batting drills, but has not yet returned to wicketkeeping practice. Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra was brought into the India A setup for the first two matches in Pant’s absence. Kushagra was also named as cover for Ishan Kishan after the Jharkhand captain suffered a right adductor strain during the ongoing T20I series.

Both Bumrah and Pant are included in India’s squad for the two-Test series against New Zealand, with the first Test scheduled in Wellington from November 19 to 23 and the second in Christchurch from November 27 to December 1. Their participation in the India A match could provide valuable preparation ahead of the international assignment.