India's injury crisis: Is IPL the main reason behind constant niggles in Test cricket?

India Today

2 days ago

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 game.advertisementIt 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 well.IPL 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 IPL.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 added.Morkel 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