Latest news with #Border-GavaskarTrophy
India Today
an hour ago
- Sport
- India Today
Workload management is a new thing: Harbhajan ahead of crucial Manchester Test
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes that the term "workload management" is perhaps overused in international cricket. Speaking ahead of the 4th Test match at Manchester, the off-spinner said that 'workload management' is a new thing in world cricket and has happened due to the popularisation of T20 cricket.A trending term in world cricket since Covid-19, several teams now carry different units for different tours due to player fatigue. With cricket being played all around the year, international teams now find time and space to put their top players on leave to keep them fresh for longer periods of India's case, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is expected to play only 3 out of the 5 Test matches against England, keeping in mind the injury he faced in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25. Harbhajan reacted to Bumrah's workload and said that the fast bowler's request for lower playing time should be respected because he is one of the most honest cricketers out there."See, workload management is a new thing. Once IPL came, people said that I will bowl 24 balls in a match and they will be absolutely spot on, and that is how people trained. If you go back in the past? What was workload? Workload was fitness. Players played 5-match series in the past as well. But yes, if someone is concerned about the injury, then you need to be careful," Harbhajan Singh said."But see, Jasprit is the most honest cricketer out there. If he is not in pain, he will not only bowl a 4-over spell, he will bowl a 10-over spell for you. He did that in Australia as well. He bowled so much there that he got injured. His action contributes to that well. His run-up is short, and you have to bowl at high speed, so the finishing of his action puts a lot of stress on the body. If his body is well, make him play 5 Tests. If he plays 5 Tests, India will win the series. Ask any opposition, they will say that they do not prefer facing Bumrah," he Should PlayThe former spinner further commented on the Indian team and stated that Kuldeep Yadav must be included in the playing line-up in Manchester. Harbhajan argued that Kuldeep's ability to bowl with incredible variety will work well against the Bazballing English believed that it should be Nitish Kumar Reddy who should make way for the spinner."Kuldeep should be playing. The brand of cricket England like to play, they will not be able to do that against Kuldeep. He could be your mystery bowler against them. You have to reduce one batter from the team. If it was left to me, I would drop Nitish Reddy and bring in Kuldeep," Harbhajan spinner also suggested a tweak in India's batting line-up, stating that Sai Sudharsan should be given an extended run with the Indian team. He argued that not playing Sudharsan would fail the purpose of giving him a chance at No.3 in place of Karun Nair in the opening Test match of the series."I would have stuck with Sai Sudharsan. I would not have thrown him out after just one game. You gave him a chance at No.3 ahead of Karun Nair, and you should have stuck with him for at least three matches. He is a phenomenal talent and should get the backing of the team management. You played him over Karun, then you dropped him. Now there is an air that you want to drop Karun also from the next game, this simply ruins the flow, doesn't it?" he concluded.- EndsTune In
News18
2 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
'It Will Reduce Workload For Everyone': Harbhajan Backs Split Coaching For India
Harbhajan Singh has supported split coaching for India team to reduce workload, amidst concerns over Gautam Gambhir's effectiveness. Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has said that it is a good idea to implement split coaching for the Indian team, adding that it would reduce workload for everyone, including the coaches, amidst worry over head coach Gautam Gambhir's effectiveness across all formats. Gambhir oversaw India's Champions Trophy win against New Zealand in March. He has 13 victories and just two losses as a coach in T20Is. India beat Bangladesh in Tests, but then got whitewashed by New Zealand and lost to the mighty Aussies in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 'I feel that if it can be implemented, there is nothing wrong with it. You have different teams and different players for formats. If we can do it, it's a good option. It will reduce the workload for everyone, including the coaches," Harbhajan said while speaking to India Today. 'Because your coach also needs time to prepare for a series. Like five Tests against Australia, then in England, then elsewhere. So the coach can prepare and set out what his team should be," Harbhajan added. 'If you overwork one coach for the whole year, he, too, has a family and responsibilities. Travelling constantly with family isn't easy. So yes, if you ask me, splitting red-ball and white-ball coaching is a good move," Harbhajan said. After winning the second Test without ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, India included him in the third game. But it was not enough as England managed to bag a win on the final day and now lead 2-1. Meanwhile, Harbhajan was also in the news after an India vs Pakistan match was supposed to go ahead in the World Championship of Legends. The second edition of the tournament began on July 18 at Edgbaston and is scheduled for an August 2 final. World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh is the skipper of the India legends, while the team features the likes of Harbhajan, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa and Varun Aaron among others. The WCL organisers shared a statement on their X account, detailing the decision to cancel and said that their intention while holding the India vs Pakistan game was to recreate some 'happy memories." tags : Gautam Gambhir harbhajan singh First Published: July 20, 2025, 09:27 IST
Mint
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Mint
'I think its a doctors call': Raina on 'legend' Bumrah playing 4th Test at Manchester
Birmingham [UK], July 20 (ANI): Former Indian middle-order batter Suresh Raina hailed pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for his performances during the ongoing series against England away from home, calling him a "legend". He also said that the pacer playing the fourth Test is down to a "doctor's call" as his workload is under management following a lengthy injury lay-off. The availability of Bumrah, who is playing only three Tests during the ongoing series against England due to workload management, will be a big talking point as the team bus heads to Manchester for the fourth Test at Old Trafford. With the series being 2-1 in favour of England, there have been reports that Bumrah could feature in the fourth Test to give India a chance to level the series. Speaking to ANI at Birmingham, where he is due to his participation in the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL), Raina said about Bumrah playing the fourth Test, "I think it is a doctor's call to be very honest. I know my body. I know my doctor. I know what guidelines he is giving me, how to play the game." "So I think with Bumrah, I think he is a legend. I think he knows his body. He knows his workload, how to manage himself and look at his performance at Lord's, he registered his place in the Lord's Honours Board (with a five-wicket haul)," he added. Raina said that while a little rest is important for Bumrah since he is playing Test cricket after a long injury layoff following the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia earlier this year, in the next Test, the team management would like to have him in the team. "Rishabh Pant had an injury on his finger to. So it is very important for both of them (to play fourth Test). If they have to draw the series or if they have to try to win the team, then I think it will be very important for both of them to feature in the fourth Test," he added. In two Tests so far, Bumrah has taken 12 wickets at an average of 21.00, with two five-wicket hauls and is the second-highest wicket-taker so far. Bumrah has been extremely prolific over last two years or so, winning the 'Player of the Tournament' award during T20 World Cup 2024 for his 15 wickets at an average of 8.26, taking a massive 32 wickets in five Tests during a dissappointing BGT for India in late-2024 to early 2025, even winning the first Test at Perth as a captain. He finished the year 2024 with 86 international wickets in 21 matches at an average of just over 13 and five five-wicket hauls. Speaking ahead of the fourth Test, Indian assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate said about Bumrah as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, "We will make that call (on Bumrah) in Manchester still. We know we have got him for one of the last two Tests. It is pretty obvious that the series on the line now in Manchester so there will be a leaning towards playing him," he added. "But again, we have got to look at all the factors: how many days of cricket are we going to get up there, what do we feel is our best chance of winning that game, and then how that fits in together with The Oval. And looking at the last two games holistically as part of the series," he continued. Pant has been the second-highest run-getter in the series with 425 runs in six innings at an average of 70.83, with two centuries and two fifties. His runs have come at a stunning strike rate of over 78. He faced an injury while wicketkeeping at Lord's. While Dhruv Jurel took up the wicketkeeping duties, Pant batted, scoring 74 and 9 despite his injury. Speaking on Pant, Ten Doeschate sounded hopeful, "He (Pant) will bat in Manchester before the Test. Look, I do not think you are going to keep Rishabh out of the Test no matter what. He batted with quite a lot of pain in the third Test, and it is only going to get easier and easier on his finger. And keeping is obviously the last part of the process to make sure that he can keep. We do not want to go through that again where we have to replace the keeper halfway through innings," he added. The assistant coach also hinted on Jurel, saying, "Jurel's in the equation, but I mean obviously if Rishabh's fit, he plays the next Test and does both," he noted. (ANI)
Mint
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Mint
Arshdeep gets stitches on bowling hand, likely to miss India vs England 4th Test: Report
Indian left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh could be ruled out of the fourth Test against England after the 26-year-old suffered a cut to his bowling hand during a training session on Thursday. According to a report by the Indian Express, Arshdeep's hand has been stitched up, making it unlikely that he will be fit in time to play. 'He has stitches on his hand and likely won't be available for the fourth Test. The Indian team will see if he is ready for the fifth Test or not,' Indian Express quoted a source as saying. India assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate had also confirmed the injury while speaking to the press earlier in the week. 'Arshdeep took a ball while he was bowling, Sai hit a ball and he tried to stop it, and it's just a cut. We have to see how bad it is. The medical team have taken him off to see a doctor, and whether he needs stitches or not will be important for our planning over the next few days,' he said. Notably, Arshdeep hasn't featured in the series so far. However, with Prasidh Krishna looking ineffective in the two matches he played, the team management could have been considering the left-arm pacer for a debut in red-ball cricket. Arshdeep has already been a key player for India in white-ball formats and would be looking to replicate his success in Tests. The report also notes that there is still uncertainty over Akash Deep's availability for the match, with the pacer struggling with a groin niggle and skipping a nets session before the team left for Manchester. Akash Deep had left the field during the 28th over of England's innings on Day 4 of the Lord's Test after feeling discomfort. While he returned to the field after treatment, he did not bowl again that day. The 28-year-old has a history of injuries, having missed last year's Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the IPL 2025 season. However, the stars had finally aligned for Akash Deep on this tour, where he emerged as India's standout bowler in Edgbaston with a 10-wicket haul.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
IND vs ENG: 109 overs and counting! Mohammed Siraj bends, but doesn't break
Mohammed Siraj of India appeals during day four of the 3rd Rothesay Test Match between England and India at Lord's Cricket Ground on July 13, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by) in Manchester: Mohammed Siraj never stops. He is in your face, ready to bowl the next over, and never shies away from putting his mind, body, and soul on the line every time he takes the field for India. A trier who may not always succeed, but succeeds in always trying. There is a lot of honesty with which he goes about his business, and it is evident right from the preparations before every game. Whether that is bowling, batting, or fielding, he keeps the intensity high in all his sessions and has continued to shoulder most of the fast bowling workload in the last two years for India in the longest format. India's spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has had to miss games due to workload and injury concerns. There has been constant change in personnel due to fitness and combination requirements, but Siraj has been the lone ranger who continues to roar, with eyes firmly locked on the opposition. There could be criticism of his consistency or inability to hit the rhythm from the go, but not a single finger will be raised about the intensity he brings to the field. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! And maintaining intensity and playing the number of games he has played — 24 out of India's 27 Tests since 2023 — is no joke, especially when he has seen others around him break down, miss matches due to fitness, and get rotated for workload. Workload and rotation, the two fancy and trending keywords in Indian cricket , don't apply to Hyderabad's gully boy. Why Team India came to Manchester from London via train and walked in rain "We take for granted how lucky we are to have someone like that. I know he doesn't always get the returns you might expect from a fast bowler, but in terms of heart, he's like a lion. Every time he has the ball in hand, you get the sense that something is about to happen," India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said in a media interaction. "He's not someone who's ever going to shy away from a workload, which makes it all the more important for us to manage it carefully," he added. So far, the Indian think tank, featuring different personnel, is yet to "manage" Siraj because more often than not, others around him need to be managed. Akash Deep missed the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Jasprit Bumrah couldn't bowl in the final innings of the SCG Test and missed a lot of cricket after that, but Siraj kept going. He featured in all five Tests in Australia, and the only break he got was when he was overlooked for the Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai — again, a break he never asked for. Ryan ten Doeschate press conference: Updates on Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and Arshdeep Singh Cut to 2025 in England, the script has followed a similar theme as Bumrah will not play more than three Tests, Akash Deep limped off the field during the Lord's Test, and Arshdeep Singh injured his bowling hand during the net session in Beckenham. Siraj? Well, he keeps going. Even on a flat track in Birmingham, the trier bent his back and returned with a six-wicket haul, earning a lot of praise from bowling coach Morne Morkel . "Siraj is a guy that I've got a lot of respect for. He's a guy that always will push his body to the limits. I think sometimes the guilty part of him is trying too hard, so for us, it's about managing that sort of aggression and managing that intensity because he really bowls with his heart on his sleeve. I think sometimes those sorts of things can give you that inconsistency. Poll How do you rate Mohammed Siraj's intensity on the cricket field? Exceptional Good Average Poor "In a match where he's now the leader of the attack, he got the wickets, but for me, in terms of effort and energy and with a sore body, he's always done and will put his hand up, and he wants to bowl that over. I don't think sometimes we give him enough credit for that," said Morkel on his heroics at Edgbaston. Still two matches left, and Siraj has already sent down 109 overs in the three Tests for his 13 scalps. The pieces around him continue to move, change, and get managed, but Siraj keeps going. The arrangement has worked so far, but the management needs to now start looking after the pillar that is keeping the Indian pace attack steady, even in testing circumstances and conditions. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
