Jasprit Bumrah, Travis Head Among Six Players Ruled Out of ICC World Test Championship Final
Bowlers Bumrah and Wood Join Head, Jayasuriya, Anderson, and Sharma on the Sidelines
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has ruled out as many as six players from the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and New Zealand, following a review of the latest COVID-19 test results received on Thursday, June 17, 2021.
Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and England speedster Mark Wood will miss the high-profile clash due to injuries. Bumrah is suffering from a thumb injury, while Wood has failed to recover from an elbow problem. Besides these two prominent bowlers, the other four players who have been ruled out are Travis Head (Australia), Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka), James Anderson (England), and Rohit Sharma (India).
Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah, who is currently ranked as the world's number one bowler in Test cricket, has been India's most potent weapon with the ball in hand. His absence will be a significant blow to the team's chances of winning the WTC final.
Mark Wood
Wood, who has been in impressive form for England in recent months, will also be a big miss for the visitors. His ability to bowl at express pace and generate movement off the pitch would have been a handful for the Indian batsmen.
Travis Head
Head, who is a key member of Australia's Test team, has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury. He is expected to be out of action for at least four weeks, which means he will also miss the upcoming Ashes series against England.
Sanath Jayasuriya
Jayasuriya, who is now a member of the ICC's Cricket Committee, has been ruled out due to an undisclosed medical condition. He was expected to play a key role in providing expert analysis and commentary during the WTC final.
James Anderson
Anderson, who is England's most successful Test bowler, has been ruled out due to a calf injury. He has been struggling with the injury for some time now and has not played any cricket since the second Test against New Zealand in June 2021.
Rohit Sharma
Sharma, who is India's vice-captain, has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury. He suffered the injury during the recent Test series against England and has not played any cricket since then.
Impact on the WTC Final
The absence of these six players will have a significant impact on the WTC final. India will be particularly hard-hit by the loss of Bumrah, who is their most experienced and successful bowler. England will also miss the services of Wood, who has been one of their most consistent performers in recent months.
Conclusion
The ICC World Test Championship final is set to be a closely fought contest between India and New Zealand. However, the absence of these six key players could swing the balance in favor of one team.
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