Jasprit Bumrah, the leader of Indian pace bowling attack, has been ruled out of the third and final Test against New Zealand in Mumbai due to an unresolved viral illness, as confirmed by the BCCI. This announcement follows speculation earlier in the week when Bumrah was seen limiting his participation to light fitness exercises and fielding drills at Wankhede Stadium, sparking questions about his availability.

Despite early reassurances from head coach Gautam Gambhir, who downplayed concerns and stated that Bumrah was fully fit and managing his preparations in light of Mumbai’s intense weather, the pacer ultimately did not recover in time to join the lineup for the final Test of the series.

Bumrah’s absence from the final Test comes as a setback for India, particularly given his form this season. Having played in all four Tests of the home series so far, he has not only bowled the third-most overs (90) but also claimed the third-highest wickets tally (14).

It was reported earlier that the newly appointed vice-captain would be given rest to manage his workload, as the team management wants Bumrah fresh and charged-up for the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Bumrah is also expected to take on a more significant role in Rohit Sharma’s anticipated absence for the series opener in November in Perth.

The importance of his full fitness for the upcoming five-Test stretch, which spans until January 7, cannot be overstated.

Until his illness, there were no overt signs that Bumrah would miss the final Test, with even assistant coach Abhishek Nayar emphasizing that India’s recent games had not gone the full five days, thereby not significantly impacting Bumrah’s workload. However, the situation changed with the confirmation of his viral infection.

NZ opt to bat

New Zealand's captain Tom Latham won the toss in batting-friendly conditions in Mumbai, and unsurprisingly asked India to field first. There was no other change in the Indian XI barring Bumrah's absence; New Zealand, however, also faced a key setback as Mitchell Santner, the player of the match in the Pune Test, was ruled out with an injury. Ish Sodhi replaced Santner for the final Test, as the Kiwis aim for an unprecedented clean-sweep series win over Rohit Sharma's men.

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