For the bowlers, the India versus West Indies series has been a nightmare. In front of batters like Shai Hope, Sherfane Rutherford, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and others, no line or length is effective. The obvious discomfort on Arshdeep Singh’s shoulder during his final over as an Indian batsman has also raised concerns.
In the 20th over of India’s chase, West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph hit Arshdeep on the left shoulder and upper arm with a short-pitched delivery. Before leaving the field, he had scored five runs off four pitches. Soon after, West Indies won by 24 runs to tie the five-match series at 2-2, ending India’s innings. As of October 15, Arshdeep’s participation in the winner-take-all match at Bengaluru was doubtful pending a thorough evaluation by the team’s medical staff because there had been no formal medical update or fitness clearance.
When Arshdeep Singh was batting for India in the last over, he was clearly anxious about his left shoulder. To make matters worse, Shreyas Iyer declared the innings with three balls remaining, and Shamar Joseph was bowling to Arshdeep at a dangerous length. If Arshdeep Singh is unable to play, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been selected for the New Zealand tour, may step in.
The name most strongly associated with a possible cover role is Bhuvneshwar Kumar. After a four-year hiatus from international cricket, the seasoned right-arm bowler, who is currently based at the Centre of Excellence, was recently added back into India’s preparations for an upcoming Twenty20 International assignment. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has not made any official announcements regarding squad changes, and the selectors have not verified whether Bhuvneshwar will be selected, especially for the West Indies final.
In the days preceding October 17, Arshdeep’s medical evaluation is anticipated to precede any decision regarding a successor. India’s fast bowling has been scrutinised throughout the four games of the series, which is tied at 2-2, despite a particular runs-conceded total. Before making any official announcements, the team management is probably going to wait for clarification of Arshdeep’s fitness.
