Jasprit Bumrah's energy mind-blowing; he's in great shape for England Tests: Morkel
India bowling coach Morne Morkel was "blown away" by Jasprit Bumrah's rhythm and intensity during the three training sessions the team has had so far on their tour of England. Morkel also dismissed suggestions that Jasprit Bumrah might be undercooked, having played only a handful of IPL matches."Bumrah knows how to get himself ready; he knows how to prepare. I was blown away to see the energy on the ball the last three days. That's very exciting to see. I'm happy his body is in good shape at the moment," Morkel said, after observing Bumrah during the team's first three sessions.advertisementThe Indian camp is mindful of Bumrah's history with back injuries. Before the squad's departure, head coach Gautam Gambhir had said it was likely that Bumrah would play only three of the five Tests as part of his workload management. However, the team is yet to take a final call on which matches he will play, with the decision to be based on the condition of the series and Bumrah's physical state.
The Indian bowling coach reiterated that the team management would be "smart" in handling Bumrah's workload over the summer. "We'll manage him with that. We'll be smart with him because he's obviously key for us, but in terms of the first three net sessions, lot to be excited watching him bowl with the Dukes ball," Morkel added.India's build-up to the opening Test at Headingley in Leeds, starting 20 June, includes a three-day intra-squad fixture from 6 June in Beckenham. The game will be played behind closed doors and will feature a mix of players from the main Test squad and the India A team, which recently played two four-day matches against the England Lions.advertisement"I think in terms of that we cover, like you say, all the bases. But for us now, the key thing is to get Test match fit, ready, that sharpness, to get that back. We haven't played Test matches for a while now," Morkel said.Focus SmilesFielding game point ft. #TeamIndia #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/PfYu1Gc30B— BCCI (@BCCI) June 11, 2025He pointed out that English conditions, while often overcast and bowler-friendly, are likely to provide good surfaces throughout the series. "In England, the conditions can suit you and it's overcast, but still it's going to be good surfaces. I think we're going to be testing that."Morkel underlined that one of the primary goals ahead of the first Test is to ensure that players are physically ready to stay on the field for the full 90 overs each day."We've only had three sessions so far. We've got a four-day warm-up game (vs India A) starting in two days' time. I'm going to be more interested to see how our guys go in that four-day game," he said.While acknowledging the value of net sessions, Morkel said they are not a reliable measure of a player's readiness for the physical demands of a full Test match.advertisement"It's one thing judging a net session, but for our guys to stand in the field, getting used to doing 90 overs in the field, that's going to take some time. We need to realise that and we need to be patient with that."We need to find a way to get up to speed as quick as possible because that's going to be a real test." You May Also Like
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