16 August,2026 08:06 AM IST | Mumbai | Sunil Gavaskar
India pacer Jasprit Bumrah during a practice session at Ahmedabad in October last year. Pic/AFP
[popcorn number="36.58" desc="Percentage of India's Test matches Jasprit Bumrah has missed since his debut in 2018" class="Default"]
India's quest for a place in the ICC WTC final begins in Sri Lanka. They play two Test matches there and then two Test matches in New Zealand in November. The five-match Test series against Australia will probably decide if India have a realistic chance of qualifying for the final. But for that to happen, they have to win both the away series in Sri Lanka and then in New Zealand. That's not going to be easy as it's never simple to beat a home team. India will have to play their best cricket against these two countries first before even planning for the Australian series at home. In recent times, even home series have proven to be tough to win with losses in all three Tests against New Zealand at home followed by losing both the Test matches against South Africa.
The Indian team seems to be beset with injury problems and are without the spearhead of their attack Jasprit Bumrah. That said, India won both the Test matches in England last year where Bumrah didn't play because of workload issues. Bumrah is a match-winner and even if he doesn't play, his very presence in the change room is a great source of encouragement to the other quicks in the team. He is a leader and takes it upon himself to guide and mentor the newer inexperienced bowlers in the team. Look at the way he has guided Mohd. Siraj and Prasidh Krishna in The Oval Test where India snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. To Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi it would have been fantastic to have been able to pick the great man's brains and learn a thing or two (three) about fast bowling.
While Bumrah has a knee injury, it is seen that most Indian players suffer from hamstring injuries. Clearly there's something wrong with their training and that's why these recurring hamstring injuries. These injuries happen when they are playing for India but unfortunately the blame is put on the physios at the BCCI centre of excellence.
The so-called biomechanics where a bowler can bowl only so many deliveries in the practice nets is a questionable practice. Even in the IPL, it is learnt that some of the overseas physios don't allow the bowlers to bowl more than 20 balls in the nets. If in the match you will be bowling 24 balls, that is if you don't bowl no-balls and wides, then how is bowling a lesser number in the nets going to help? It's an issue that needs a good, hard look at why these injuries are happening again and again. It is more important to be match fit than gym fit. But then, maybe I am from a generation that had different ideas on fitness.
Even as the Test series starts, there's some speculation in the media about the possible switching of players from one franchise to another. There's of course still some time for that window to be closed. However, while transfer of a player from one franchise to another is in the public domain, when a trade takes place then the numbers are known only to the two franchises, the player and BCCI. In such a situation the other franchises don't know if the salary cap that every franchise has for its squad was maintained or breached. That's why it's important for full transparency that the numbers are also out in the public domain.
The IPL is the greatest T20 league in the world and it's therefore crucial that full transparency is maintained so that there's no finger pointing at it from those jealous of it.
Professional Management Group
