Rohit ruled out of England Test, Bumrah to captain India: Reports

Pacer Jasprit Bumrah will lead India in the rescheduled fifth Test against England at Birmingham from July 1-5 after regular captain Rohit Sharma tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time. Rohit is currently in isolation and with vice-captain KL Rahul ruled out of the series due to an injury, Bumrah has been chosen as the captain.

Bumrah becomes the first fast bowler in 35 years to lead India in the Test whites after Kapil Dev in 1987. 

"Rohit is out of this Test match, starting July 1, as his RT-PCR test has come positive again. He is still in isolation. Jasprit Bumrah, who is one of the vice-captains in absence of KL Rahul, will lead the team," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity. 

Pacers have rarely been named Test captains in men's international cricket with Kapil, Imran Khan, Courtney Walsh and Wasim Akram being some of the exceptions to lead their sides for a considerable amount of time.

Recently, Australia bucked the trend by naming Pat Cummins to succeed wicketkeeper Tim Paine as the red-ball captain.

With Rohit out of the match, it most likely that India will open with Cheteshwar Pujara and Shubhman Gill while Mayank Agarwal, who was flown in as replacement for Rohit, might not be in the playing XI.

According to the report, Hanuma Vihari might get a chance to play ahead of Shreyas Iyer in the middle-order.

"Mayank is here just as cover. It is likely to be Pujara-Gill combination that is going to open the batting. There is an outside chance for Hanuma Vihari to open as he has done the job in a stop-gap arrangement in Australia during the 2018 series. But chances of Pujara opening are way more," the source told PTI.

With the first Test scheduled to finish on July 5 and the first T20I scheduled for July 7 in Southampton, the selection committee has decided that the star players will be given a three-day recovery period before they are picked from the second game.

India are scheduled to clash with England three T20Is and as many ODIs.

"The squad that played T20I series in Ireland will remain in the first T20I and then from second T20I, all the stars (Rohit, if fit, Kohli, Bumrah, Pant, Jadeja) will make a comeback," the source added.

"Once, they are well rested, all of them will be a part of the regular white ball side but most of the players in Ireland will remain till the end of T20I series."

(With inputs from PTI)