Injured Akash Deep Ruled Out of Crucial Manchester Test

Shubman Gill's Toughest Test: Leading India's Depleted Pace Attack in Manchester

In a major setback to India's hopes in the current five-match Test series against England, pace bowler Akash Deep has been officially excluded from the fourth Test at Manchester because of a groin injury.

The news, confirmed on the eve of the match at Old Trafford by India skipper Shubman Gill, further adds to the visitors' swelling injury list, making their pace attack woefully short-handed for a must-win affair.

Akash Deep, India's hero from the Edgbaston Test with a match-winning 10-wicket haul, had been battling a groin niggle since the Lord's Test. Despite efforts to play through the injury, he failed a recent bowling fitness test. 

This setback means he is unavailable for the decisive Manchester encounter. This loss is especially disappointing considering his superb performance at the start of the series, which had brought the series level after a wobbly beginning.

Bumrah's workload a concern amidst injuries

The 28-year-old bowler's loss is the added injury worry for India. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has already been excluded from the whole series due to a left knee injury, while left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh will miss the Manchester Test after taking an impact injury to his left thumb in a training session.

These injuries have compelled India's team management to keep changing their bowling combinations, a challenge the Captain Gill has accepted. "It is never comfortable when injuries are traveling around in the team. It's not great when you know you have a different combination after each game," Gill said.

In the absence of Akash Deep, the way is now clear for uncapped seamer Anshul Kamboj to debut in Tests. Kamboj was brought as cover for injuries and has impressed in the nets. The ultimate call on who will accompany Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in the fast bowling attack will be a flip between Kamboj and Prasidh Krishna.

Although Bumrah is a plus for India, his workload management has been a recurring aspect in the series so far, so he is not anticipated to play all the remaining games.

Can India overcome its pace injury curse?

The recent injury to Akash Deep highlights a long-standing issue for Indian cricket: maintaining the fitness of its fast bowlers. Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar recently expressed dismay at the Indian pacers' inability to remain fit for extended periods, despite improvements in sports medicine. 

He mentioned Akash Deep as a ‘glaring example,’ arguing that Indian cricket needs to tackle this widespread issue.

As India trails England 1-2 in the ‘Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy,’ the Manchester Test becomes pivotal. The absence of key bowlers will undoubtedly test India's depth and resilience as they seek to level the series once again.