India are playing England in the fifth Test match at the Kennington Oval in London without star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. His exclusion from the playing XI was not a surprise in itself. It was decided beforehand that he would play only three games in the five-Test series. Bumrah Managing His Fitness Bumrah also has a history of back injuries and has been taking care of his workload. He had come back from injury during IPL 2025 but suffered another back issue in the fifth Test against Australia. Due to that, he also missed the 2025 Champions Trophy. Now, he has been freed from the Test team and will likely return in the 2025 Asia Cup on September 9. But he may not feature in all the matches of the T20 tournament because the team wishes to take care of his fitness long-term. Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who played with Bumrah, endorsed the decision. Ashwin stated it's great to see Bumrah giving his body precedence and taking care of himself for the future. Also Read | Trott Explains Bumrah’s Struggles in Manchester Test On his YouTube channel, Ashwin said: "I am pleasantly surprised because if this were the Indian team of the past, they would have persuaded Bumrah to play the final Test. Even now, the team management might have looked at it, but from Bumrah's perspective, this is a sound decision. He had already decided that he was going to play only three Tests, and he stuck to that." He added: "His back issue is not a normal one. It has kept him out of the game for almost two years. He is a valuable asset to the Indian team. So, the decision is the right one, and I am pleasantly surprised. I am very happy that Bumrah is prioritising his body because in the long run, he will be very useful." India Trail in the Series In the current match, England were bowled out for 247 runs in the first innings. India, in response, scored only 224 runs. After the second innings, England are 23 runs ahead. The series is now 2-1 in favor of England. India require a win in this match to make the series level. The Indian bowling attack has added pressure, with Bumrah missing, but they will expect the other bowlers to rise to the challenge. Bumrah's supporters will now have to wait until the Asia Cup to witness him play again. His comeback will be crucial for India ahead of even bigger tournaments in the second half of this year.