BREAKING: Jasprit Bumrah and another injured red-ball regular to feature in NZ-A vs IND-A 2026 3rd Test - Reports

In a major boost to India’s red-ball preparations, premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant are expected to feature for the India A squad in the upcoming third unofficial Test against New Zealand A.

The four-day fixture is scheduled to take place at Lincoln from November 7 to 10. It will serve as vital match preparation ahead of India's two-match senior Test tour of New Zealand starting on November 19.

Bumrah is set to return to competitive four-day cricket to build up his overs after an extended absence from the longest format. The pace spearhead has not played Test cricket since November 2025, having spent significant periods managing workload alongside back and fitness rehabilitation programs at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

Medical staff and team management view the Lincoln fixture as the ideal platform to test his rhythm, bowling workload, and match fitness in seam-friendly conditions before leading the national pace attack.

Pant's inclusion, however, remains subject to formal fitness clearance from the BCCI medical team. The dynamic southpaw has been sidelined since early October after sustaining a side strain during the Irani Cup, where he led Rest of India to victory over Jammu and Kashmir.

The injury ruled him out of Delhi’s opening Ranji Trophy campaign as well as the first two unofficial Tests against New Zealand A.

While Pant has resumed batting sessions and mobility drills at the CoE, he is still working his way through wicketkeeping drills. Medical staff are monitoring his recovery daily to assess whether he can handle the full physical demands of keeping across four days.

Should he receive the green light, Pant will join Bumrah in Lincoln to acquire crucial game time ahead of the two-match Test series.

India's Test schedule and squad for New Zealand series

India’s two-match Test series against New Zealand begins with the first Test in Wellington (November 19-23), followed by the second Test in Christchurch (November 27-December 1).

It is an important series for India in terms of qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship final. India currently sits fifth in the table with a win percentage of 51.52.

India’s Test squad: Shubman Gill [c], Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul [vc], Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant [wk], Dhruv Jurel [wk], Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj.

Note: Subject to fitness clearance

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