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India Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
India's injury crisis: Is IPL the main reason behind constant niggles in Test cricket?
The Indian bowling unit had a difficult day out on Day 3 of the Manchester Test match. The Indian pacers were rendered ineffective by the English batting line-up, who put up a commanding total of 544 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and debutant Anshul Kamboj had a terrible time out, as England secured a lead of 186 runs going into the final two days of the needs to be pointed out that India did not have their first-choice bowling line-up, with injuries to Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy. India bowling coach Morne Morkel was asked about the injuries to the seamers and why the fast bowling unit was getting injured often in recent times.| Manchester Test Day 3 Scorecard | In the past few months, several India pacers have checked into the BCCI Centre of Excellence for rehabilitation, and the ones who are fit (Bumrah and Siraj) are on the verge of burnout as Behind India's Injury Crisis?The India bowling coach pointed to the quick turnaround between the Indian Premier League 2025 and the 5-match Test series against England, and said that it was a difficult job to play a 5-match Test series right after the completion of the Indian team played the opening Test match of the England series (June 20), only two weeks after the completion of the IPL (June 3). As things stand during the 4th Test match, all-rounder Nitish Reddy has been ruled out of the series. Questions remain on the fitness of pacers Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh, who have been ruled out of the 4th Test.'It's a real test. We've played a lot of two or three-match Test series, and this is the first time in a while that we've come into a five-match series. It shouldn't be an excuse, but in terms of conditioning, getting the guys ready for five Tests straight out of the IPL can sometimes be an issue," Morne Morkel said after Day 3 of the 4th Test match."You have to find the right balance between giving players enough recovery time and maintaining their bowling loads. That is why it's important for us to look to the future and build a solid core of five or six bowlers that we can rotate. That way, these guys can come in fresh and do the job when needed," he further added that India needed to work through this tough phase. After the England series, India have a home series lined up against West Indies and South Africa. Morkel concluded by saying that the Indian team needed to create a pace battery who knew how to tackle a 5-match Test series."Right now, there's not a lot of experience with the ball. We've got Siraj. Bumrah has played a handful of Tests, and then there's Avesh, who's played a bit but is currently injured. So we're constantly looking to bring in new players who are still learning their trade at the international level. It's not easy at the moment, but this is just a phase we need to work through to get these guys fitter and stronger over the next four or five Test matches,' Morkel concluded.- EndsTune InMust Watch
India.com
3 days ago
- Sport
- India.com
'They are little bit greedy': India's bowling coach admits Bumrah lacking support from Siraj and Anshul Kamboj
Shubman Gill-led India finds itself on the back foot in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, with England crossing the 500-run mark and their lead approaching 200. At stumps on Day 3, were at 544/7, with Ben Stokes unbeaten on 77 and Liam Dawson on 21. None of the Indian bowlers managed put pressure, as the runs flowed freely throughout the day. Joe Root smashed his 38th Test century and also became the second-highest run-scorer in Tests, surpassing former Australia great Ricky Ponting. After the end of Day 3, India's bowling coach Morne Morkel admitted that the bowlers struggled to build pressure on the opposition. He pointed out that while Jasprit Bumrah maintained control, he received little to no support from the other end. On Day 3 of the Manchester Test, Washington Sundar grabbed two wickets as he removed Ollie Pope and Harry Brook. However, Shubman Gill's decision to introduce Sundar into the attack so late raised eyebrows, and he faced criticism for his tactical choices. Morkel on Bumrah lacking support from other end India's bowling coach Morne Morkel stated that Bumrah could have taken wickets if he had received better support from the other end. 'For him to be successful, we need to build partnerships. The other guys need to help him out, and I think at times, the guys are also trying from the other end, they are a little bit greedy — trying to strive too much, and that's how we leak and sort of release that pressure,' Morkel told reporters. 'You can't say anything about Bumrah, he's number one in the world, he's skilful. At times, you need help from the other end,' he added. Talking about the match, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur have all been expensive, conceding runs at over 4 per over. Bumrah, meanwhile, has bowled 28 overs so far, conceding 95 runs, and taking just 1 wicket. If Bumrah gives away five more runs, it will be the first time in his Test career that he has gone for 100 runs in a single innings. Morne Morkel expressed his disappointment with India's bowling performance Morne Morkel expressed disappointment over India's poor execution with the ball, admitting that their bowling performance has significantly set them back in the match. 'Our execution let us down, so I think it's not so much to blame on the combinations we went with; it's more the fact that we let ourselves down with our execution. I haven't seen a pitch map where we basically leaked runs, I think 100 runs on both sides, normally like a bit of a split. For me, yesterday was either a sign that we were too greedy, but we couldn't stick to the plan, and then from there we found ourselves chasing the game a little bit,' said Morkel. Another instance which raised eyebrows was handing the new ball to Anshul Kamboj instead of Mohammed Siraj, while explaining this call, Morkel said,'See if we attack first with Bumrah and Siraj up front, then we have to go to less experienced guys at first change. So that is a bit of a tricky one, but looking back at yesterday, you back a guy that's picked on his strength — which being Anshul bowls with the new ball with the best bowler in the world. Siraj has been doing a fantastic job bowling first change.
Times of Oman
3 days ago
- Sport
- Times of Oman
"We need support from other end as well....": Indian bowling coach on Bumrah's lack of new ball success in series
Manchester: Following a mixed bag day at work during the third day of the fourth Manchester Test against England, Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel spoke on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's lack of success with the new ball during this series, pointing out on lack of support from other bowlers and failure to create pressure on batters from both ends. During the course of this series, Bumrah has taken a total of 13 wickets at an average of 26.69, with two five-wicket hauls. However, except for him removing openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett within first 30 overs, he has had a very little amount of success with the newer or a slightly used ball, with the wickets mostly coming when the ball got really old. Speaking about Bumrah's performance with the new ball this series, Morkel said, "I had a conversation with Bumrah's last night. He is obviously a guy who is highly skillful and he wants to create things for us with the ball." "But at the end of the day, we need support from the other end as well. And I think that is, you know, a big thing in this sort of bowling innings is that we are struggling to create. We are finding it hard to create pressure from both ends," he added. Morkel said that for Bumrah to be more successful, bowlers need to partner with him well, but the other bowlers are trying to go after wickets too much and end up leaking runs. "And, you know, he sort of released that pressure. But, yeah, I cannot, you cannot say anything about Boom. He is number one in the world. He is skilful. And, you know, at times you are going to get in the wicket column. But I think also, you know, you need help from the other end," he added. Speaking about spinner Kuldeep Yadav being ignored in favour of all-rounder Washington Sundar, Morkel said that the team is trying to find a way to fit him in, but since India has "lost wickets in clumps" in the past, they need their batting line-up a little longer. "Kuldeep is world-class and he's bowling really well at the moment. So we're trying our best to find ways for him to get in. But unfortunately with that, just the balance with batting throws it out a little bit," he added. The bowling coach admitted that the Test series, without Mohammed Shami supporting Bumrah and featuring plenty of newer talent like Prasidh Krishna, Anshul Kamboj, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Akash Deep, is a "real test" of team's bowling depth and it is being tried they get used to playing five-match Test series. "We play three, two test match series a lot and this is now the first time in a while we have gone into five. You know, it should not be excused but in terms of conditioning, getting the guys conditioned and get them ready for five test series coming straight out of the IPL is sometimes an issue. Because you have to balance between test matches, getting these guys a good amount of recovery time, but also to keep their bowling loads up," he continued. "And that is why it is important for us to look at the future and get a good core of five, six bowlers that we can rotate and these guys can come in and they can do the job. At the moment there is not a lot of experience with the ball. We have got Siraj and Bumrah that played a lot of tests and then Akash has played a little bit but he's out injured." "So we keep on finding ways to bring new guys in that are learning now in international cricket, learning their trade in international cricket. So it is not easy at the moment but it is just a phase, a period that we need now to work through and get these guys fitter and stronger to last for five test matches," he concluded. England started off their day at 225/2, with Ollie Pope (20*) and Joe Root (11*) unbeaten. The duo went on to have a century partnership, building on exploits of openers Ben Duckett (94 in 100 balls, with 13 fours) and Zak Crawley (84 in 113 balls, with 13 fours and a six), they took England to 332/2 at the first session end, with both having scored their fifties. In the second session, while Washington Sundar (2/57) removed Ollie (71 in 128 balls, seven fours) and Harry Brook (3), skipper Stokes and Root thwarted any further resistance from India as Root completed his 38th Test ton and going past Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest Test run-getter. England ended second session at 433/4, with Stokes and Root unbeaten. Siraj and Bumrah faced fitness issues during the session, having walked off the field, with Bumrah contributing only one over with the new ball. Stokes, while he completed his fifty during the final session went off the field due to trouble in his left leg. Root was removed by Jadeja for a brilliant 150 in 248, consisting of 14 fours. Bumrah and Siraj removed Jamie Smith (9) and Chris Woakes (4) quickly, reducing England to 528/7, but Stokes (77*) came back to bat and along with Liam Dawson (21*) kept any other possible disaster at bay. England ended the day at 544/7, leading by 186 runs. Earlier, England opted to bowl first after winning the toss and India made 358 runs, with half-centuries from Sai Sudharsan (61 in 151 balls, with seven fours), Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 in 107 balls, with 10 fours and a six) and Rishabh Pant (54 in 75 balls, with three fours and two sixes) were major contributions for India. Stokes (5/72) struck tough blows on India, never really letting them settle with a massive partnership.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
ENG vs IND: ‘Getting pacers ready for five-Test series after IPL is sometimes an issue,' says Morkel
Workload management for fast bowlers during a long series can be a challenge, and India's bowling coach Morne Morkel admitted that with the players featuring in the Indian Premier League (IPL) right before a series, it becomes even tougher. This year's IPL concluded on June 3 and India's first Test in Leeds was from June 20. Though there was a two-and-a-half-week gap, deciding whether to play key players throughout the series or rotate them remained tricky. 'It's a real test. We play three Test match series a lot, and this is now our first time in a while when we've done this with five. It shouldn't be an excuse, but in terms of conditioning, getting our guys conditioned and getting them ready for a five-Test series coming straight up after IPL, is sometimes an issue,' Morkel said on Friday, after a disappointing outing for the Indian bowlers. While it was decided at the start of the series that Jasprit Bumrah would feature in just three matches, Mohammed Siraj took charge and featured in all four games. However, with Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep out of action, India had to call up young Anshul Kamboj for the fourth Test in Manchester. Morkel believes that going forward, it's important to have a core. 'You have to balance between Test matches, getting these guys a good amount of recovery time, to also keep their bowling loads up. And that's why it's important for us to look at the future and get a good core of five, six bowlers that we can replace and these guys can come in and they can do the job. But at the moment, there's not a lot of experience with the ball,' he said. 'We've got Siraj, we've got Bumrah, who has played a handful in the first, and then Akash has played a little bit, but he's out injured. So, we keep on finding ways to bring new guys,' Morkel said. 'So it is not easy at the moment. This is just a phase that we need now to work through and get these guys stronger, to last for the rest of the Test matches,' said Morkel. He also had no qualms in accepting that the Indian pacers were ordinary on day two before putting up a better performance on Friday. Kamboj, who bowled under 130 kmph, also looked under pressure. 'Unfortunately, there's no place to hide. We support him in the best way we can, through conversations. But it's also for him, it's good learning,' Morkel said. 'And I think everybody in the dressing room is constantly telling him to keep going and supporting him. That's part of international cricket, it's good to get a taste for it and know, moving forward, what he needs to do to play at this level…'
News18
3 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Morne Morkel Breaks Silence On Kuldeep Yadav's Absence: 'He Is World Class But...'
Last Updated: India bowling coach Morne Morkel has explained Kuldeep Yadav's exclusion from the XI is to maintain team balance and batting depth against England. India bowling coach Morne Morkel has said that Kuldeep Yadav's snub from the playing XI for the four Tests has been to ensure that the team is in balance, and for him to come in, India will have to ensure that their batting lineup still holds its depth and is strong enough to counter England. India are down and almost out of the Manchester Test, which is the fourth game of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. At the end of the third day's play, England skipper Ben Stokes and Liam Dawson are unbeaten on 77 and 21. No Indian bowler, even ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, was able to leave a mark as they were all smacked around the park as England made merry. 'I think it's finding when he comes in, how we can find balance and how we can get that batting line-up to be a little bit longer and stronger," Morkel said while speaking to the media at the end of the day's play. 'We've seen in the past that we've lost wickets in clumps. Kuldeep is world-class, and he's bowling well at the moment, so we're trying our best to find ways for him to get in," Morkel added. The former South Africa pacer also said that managing the workload of pacers during a five-match Test series can be a problem right after an Indian Premier League season, referring to the injuries faced by the current crop of pacers in England. The IPL final on June 3 and the first Test in England (June 20) had a gap of three weeks between them, but lasting the whole series was always going to be a challenge for the pacers. Notably, none among Bumrah, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur were part of the final. 'It's a real test. We play three Test match series a lot, and this is now our first time in a while we've done this with five. It shouldn't be excused, but in terms of conditioning, getting our guys conditioned and getting them ready for a Test series coming straight up after IPL, is sometimes an issue," Morkel said. view comments First Published: July 26, 2025, 08:53 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
