Ahmedabad: They delayed their decision as long as possible in hopes of reinstating a fully fit Jasprit Bumrah to the team. However, after receiving cautionary advice from medical professionals, it was concluded that risking the career of India's premier bowler in the Champions Trophy was unwise. With the summer Test series in England approaching after the IPL, it was crucial to safeguard India's chances of success. A conference call on Tuesday night involving India’s captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed that Bumrah would not be travelling to Dubai.

The absence of Bumrah was likened to the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo in a football World Cup by Steve Harmison, while Ravi Shastri assessed it as a 30-35% blow to India's title aspirations. Following the decision regarding Bumrah, Agarkar and his selection committee promptly made adjustments to India's provisional squad. Harshit Rana was selected as a replacement, marking his debut in an ICC tournament. The 23-year-old's ability to bowl hard lengths was preferred over Mohammed Siraj, who Rohit described as having a “lack of effectiveness with the old ball.”

The spin department was further bolstered with the inclusion of Varun Chakravarthy alongside Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar. India has assembled a squad featuring five spin options, whereas Pakistan, their opponent in Dubai on February 23, has only two spinners. To make room for the additional spinner, young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was omitted from the squad.

Until the previous week, Jaiswal was considered an integral part of the team. He even opened the batting in the first ODI against England in Nagpur last week, as the management sought to evaluate the effectiveness of a left-right batting combination. However, in light of the absence of Bumrah, he has now been relegated to a non-travelling reserve. It is anticipated that one of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, or even Washington will be called upon to respond to any urgent needs in the top order.

When in peak form, Bumrah is a formidable adversary, and his absence will be profoundly felt by India. His extensive bowling skills are noteworthy, but it is his capacity to navigate crises that renders him irreplaceable. During last year’s T20 World Cup final, when South Africa was on the verge of victory, Bumrah was brought into the fray. He successfully contained prominent hitters Heinrich Klassen and David Miller, dismissed Marco Jansen, and paved the way for India’s remarkable triumph.

In T20 cricket, Bumrah is economical, but his efficiency is even more pronounced in 50-over formats. The nature of ODI cricket allows him to deploy his diverse skill set effectively throughout different phases of the game. In ODI World Cups, Bumrah boasts a bowling economy of 4.23 and an average of 19.6. Across all ODI matches, he concedes only 4.59 runs per over and maintains an average of 23.55 over 89 matches.

India will be hopeful that the pitches in Dubai will favour their slow bowlers. Nonetheless, the Dubai International Stadium is known to support swing bowling during evening matches. The pace attack of India lacks experience and may be considered their most vulnerable aspect.

The match in Ahmedabad against England on Wednesday marked only Arshdeep Singh’s ninth ODI appearance. While he is familiar with utilizing the new ball and managing pressure during death overs from his T20 experience, extending this performance over a longer duration will present a greater challenge. Rana has the support of Gambhir, and even Rohit appears to appreciate his spirited approach. In light of Bumrah’s unfortunate situation, the Delhi pacer will be eager to rise to the occasion and justify the confidence placed in him.

For Mohammed Shami though, ICC events are his territory. In the 2019 ODI World Cup, he was introduced halfway through the tournament and picked up a truckload of wickets. He didn’t make the first playing eleven in the 2023 ODI World Cup either but finished as the top wicket-taker. He has always proven a point in style. Having missed more than a year of cricket due to injury, and the team in some distress over the loss of their premier pacer, it is for Shami to scale up, once more.

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