Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant likely to play for India A in third unofficial Test against New Zealand A

India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is expected to feature for India A in the third four-day unofficial Test against New Zealand A, which is scheduled for November 7 to 10 in Lincoln. According to Crictracker and ESPN Cricinfo, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant could join him in the lineup, provided he receives fitness clearance from the BCCI medical staff.

Both players have already been named in India’s senior squad for the upcoming two-match Test series in New Zealand. That series begins in Wellington from November 19 to 23, followed by a second Test in Christchurch from November 27 to December 1. Currently, the duo is training at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, with Pant arriving last Friday and Bumrah checking in on Monday.

Bumrah’s participation in the India A fixture is part of the mandatory return-to-play protocol required by the BCCI. He is scheduled to fly to New Zealand on November 1. His most recent competitive appearance was at the Asian Games in Japan in early October, where India won the gold medal. Since then, he has been training in Ahmedabad after being rested for the home series against the West Indies and the white-ball legs of New Zealand’s tour of India.

Pant’s path to the match depends on his recovery from a side strain sustained during the Irani Cup in early October while captaining Rest of India against Jammu and Kashmir. The injury previously ruled him out of Delhi’s Ranji Trophy opener and the first two unofficial Tests against New Zealand A. While Pant has resumed batting drills at the Centre of Excellence, he has not yet returned to wicketkeeping duties. During his absence, selectors turned to Jharkhand's Kumar Kushagra, who was also recently named as cover for Ishan Kishan in the T20I series.

What to watch: The BCCI medical staff's final decision on Rishabh Pant’s fitness clearance ahead of the November 7 start date.

Editor's note: The article accurately synthesizes the provided summary and full text, covering the players' current training status, medical clearance requirements, and individual injury backgrounds.