India suffered a major setback ahead of the series-deciding third ODI against England at Lord's after premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out with a knee injury.
Captain Shubman Gill confirmed Bumrah's absence during the toss, stating that the pacer had not recovered in time to feature in the decisive contest.
"Boom misses out, he's unavailable due to some knee injury," Gill said.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) later clarified that Bumrah sustained an impact injury to his left knee while fielding during the second ODI in Cardiff.
In an official statement, the board said, "Jasprit Bumrah had an impact injury on his left knee while fielding in the second ODI in Cardiff. He was not available for selection for the third ODI due to reactive swelling in his left knee."
Bumrah's absence is a significant setback for India, who are chasing their first bilateral ODI series victory in England since 2014. The fast bowler had only recently returned to India's ODI setup after an absence of nearly three years, having last featured in the format during the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia.
India made three changes to the side that lost the second ODI in Cardiff. KL Rahul replaced Shivam Dube in the batting order, uncapped fast bowler Prince Yadav came in for the injured Washington Sundar, while Arshdeep Singh returned to the playing XI in place of Bumrah.
England made one change for the series decider, recalling pacer Josh Tongue in place of Saqib Mahmood.
India's ODI Record at Lord's
India's record in One-Day Internationals at Lord's has been far from impressive in recent years. Their last ODI victory at the iconic venue came in 2004, when they defeated England by 23 runs.
Since then, India have lost three of their four ODIs at Lord's, while the 2011 encounter between the two sides ended in a tie.
Despite that record, India can draw confidence from recent success at the venue. Earlier this month, the Indian women's team registered a historic 270-run victory over England in the first-ever women's Test played at Lord's.
With Bumrah unavailable, India's pace attack faces an added challenge on a surface expected to provide assistance to the seam bowlers.
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.
England: Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue.
