India vs England: Chris Woakes leaves bio-bubble to return home, to skip 4th Test

Ahead of the fourth Test, England all-rounder Chris Woakes left the bio-bubble on Saturday to return back home for his pre-planned break. The English all-rounder was granted leave under the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) rotation policy to return back home to be with his family. The English team has already lost the services of Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali as both the players returned to England after featuring in only one Test. 

England's rotation policy has come under intense scrutiny as the visitors lost two Tests against India and have also been kicked out of the race for the World Test Championship finale. Several veterans of the game have raised questions over the need to rest the team's best players after winning the Test against India. The visitors are currently 2-1 behind the hosts and will lock horns in the final Test of the series which begins on March 4. 

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India release Jasprit Bumrah

India's premium pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been released from the squad ahead of the 4th Test at Ahmedabad after the bowler cited personal reasons, BCCI informed on Saturday. Bumrah's departure will not haunt the hosts as the Motera proved to be spinners' fort as England were bowled out for 112 runs and 81 runs in the 3rd Test. BCCI informed that there will be no addition to India's squad as Bumrah's replacement. 

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England out of WTC race

As Team India steamrolled over England in the third Test of the series, Kohli's men also crushed Root & Co's hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship finale at the Lord's with the 10 wicket win on Thursday. India's spin masters Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel wreaked havoc in Ahmedabad as they dismissed England for merely 81 runs in the second innings eyeing to finish the proceedings within 2 days of the Test. 

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Chasing a paltry total of 49, the Indian batsmen never looked uncomfortable as they made easy work of this small run chase as openers Rohit Sharma, and, Shubman Gill counter-attacked the English spinners with their aggressive batting display as the hosts comfortably got past the finish line by 10 wickets. Now India needs to either win or draw the final Test of the series against England to book the finale berth at Lord's against New Zealand. If India loses the fourth match, Australia will qualify for the final of the World Test Championship in June later this year. 

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