'The good thing is that the detection happened at the preliminary stage and that's why it won't take more than two months to heal.'
India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the home Test series against South Africa after suffering a stress fracture in his back and will be replaced by Umesh Yadav, the Board of Control for Cricket in India said on Tuesday.
Bumrah, 25, was India's leading bowler at the 50-over World Cup with 18 victims and he took 13 wickets in the recent two-Test series in West Indies at an exceptional average of 9.23.
"Jasprit Bumrah has sustained a minor stress fracture in his lower back and has been ruled out of the upcoming series for Gandhi-Mandela Trophy against South Africa," the BCCI said in a statement.
Bumrah's spell of 5-7 in the first Test made him the first Asian bowler to complete five-wicket hauls in Australia, England, South Africa and West Indies -- in only his 11th Test.
Yadav, who has taken 119 wickets in 41 Tests, last played for India in December in Australia.
Vishakhapatnam will host the first Test between India and South Africa from October 2 followed by matches at Pune and Ranchi. The series is the first for South Africa in the new ICC Test Championship.
A BCCI official, however, said Bumrah could also miss the home series against Bangladesh. That series comprises three T20 Internationals and two Tests, which are part of the the World Test Championship. It will be held from November 3 to 26.
"Jasprit is out for a period of seven to eight weeks minimum. This effectively rules him out of the World Championship games against Bangladesh also. He is out till the end of November. That's how his medical bulletin is at the moment," the official said on conditions of anonymity.
"The good thing is that the detection happened at the preliminary stage and that's why it won't take more than two months to heal. Otherwise, a stress fracture takes pretty long to heal," he added.
India's squad for Test series vs South Africa: Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Wriddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill.
(Inputs from PTI)
