Team India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel was visibly impressed with Jasprit Bumrah’s preparation ahead of the much-anticipated five-match Test series in England, beginning June 20 at the Headingley in Leeds. The South African, who has been overseeing India's bowlers during their pre-series training camp, said Bumrah’s rhythm with the Dukes ball has been especially heartening to watch.
Morkel’s comments come in the backdrop of head coach Gautam Gambhir’s confirmation that Bumrah will not play the entire series, considering his history of injury concerns.
The team management has decided that the star fast-bowler will feature in three out of five Tests in order to manage his workload. Given the importance of the England tour and Jasprit Bumrah's success with the Dukes ball in the past, Gambhir and Co. are keen to maximise his impact without overbowling him.
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Morne Morkel Raves About Jasprit Bumrah’s Preparations Ahead of England Test Series
India have been training in the UK and will play a warm-up match against India A at the Kent County Cricket Ground in Beckenham, starting June 13, ahead of the first Test.
Bumrah, coming off a long Indian Premier League (IPL) season, has hit the ground running. According to Morkel, the Indian pace spearhead has looked sharp and in full control of his craft with the Dukes ball.
"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 as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Morkel added that the management will keep Bumrah’s workload in check so that they avoid the risk of a burnout.
"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."
Given Bumrah’s recent injury history, these are encouraging signs for India, especially with a long five-match Test series on the horizon. The management is likely to be cautious with his workload, but his preparation has already given them plenty to smile about.
Morkel then turned his focus to all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, one of the more promising names to emerge recently. Reddy scored a century in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 and is being viewed as a long-term asset who can also contribute with the ball.
Morkel sees untapped potential in the youngster’s medium pace and wants to help him become a genuine dual-threat player. While Reddy’s batting credentials are well known, Morkel has been encouraging him to take more responsibility with the ball in hand, especially given how valuable seam-bowling all-rounders can be in English conditions.
"The more bowling options we can have, that's great. He's skillful. He's a guy that can bowl that magical ball, so for him it's about creating that consistency, it's something we want to work on, it's important for his game as well," Morkel stated.
"I want to see the ball more in his hands, we all know what he can do with the bat. For a team, if we can have the bowling options especially in these conditions, I think he'll be exciting and can complement this bowling attack."
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"We Need to Be on Top of Our Game"
Speaking more about the challenge of playing an aggressive England Test side in their own conditions, Morkel stressed the importance of starting strong.
"England – the brand of cricket they play, we need to be on top of our game. We can’t afford to find our feet in this series."
He was pleased with how quickly the squad had tuned in to the intensity required for this tour and also lauded the players’ attitude in the nets.
"The guys have stepped up by themselves, they’ve taken the ownership and responsibility, they’ve realised it’s going to be a tough tour. That’s the pleasing thing for us as coaches, to see guys taking that leadership and ownership at practice," Morkel concluded.
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