Morne Morkel, India’s bowling coach, showered high praise on frontline bowler Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the country’s five-match Test series against England. The 31-year-old pacer, who is recuperating from a back injury that sidelined him earlier this year, is said to be in exceptional form during India’s practice sessions in England.
Bumrah, who had an impressive Test series in Australia late last year, was sidelined on the final day of the Sydney Test due to a back ailment and did not play in the ICC Champions Trophy. He made a comeback in the recently finished IPL 2025 season. With his consistent back ailments being a big concern, India’s team management is taking precautions.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir had stated that Bumrah will only play three of the five Tests against England as part of the latter’s workload management strategy. The final choice on which matches Bumrah will play is determined on the series’ trajectory and his fitness. Meanwhile, Morkel discussed Bumrah’s training performances. The former South African pacer was particularly astounded by Bumrah’s use of the Dukes ball in English conditions.
“Bumrah knows how to make himself ready, how to plan. I was astounded by the enthusiasm on the ball during the last three days. That is incredibly amazing to witness. I’m glad his body is currently in fantastic form. We’ll handle that for him. We’ll be cautious with him since he’s clearly important to us, but the first three net sessions should be exciting to watch him bowl with the Dukes ball,” Morkel said.
I would want to see the ball more in his hands. Morne Morkel
However, the visitor’s bowling strategy around Bumrah remains uncertain. With Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Akash Deep in the mix, the squad may select for a seam-bowling allrounder like Nitish Kumar Reddy or Shardul Thakur. Notably, Morkel is pushing the Andhra-born all-rounder to improve his bowling after impressing with a century on the Australia tour.
“The more bowling alternatives that we have, the better. He’s very skilled. He’s a guy who can bowl that miraculous ball, so it’s about developing that consistency; it’s something we want to work on, and it’s crucial for his game as well. I’ve had conversations with him in which I’ve challenged him to bowl more, and I’d want to see the ball in his hands more. We are all aware of what he can accomplish with the bat. But for a team, having those bowling choices, especially in these conditions, I believe he will be excited and compliment his bowling assault,” he added.
India will play a three-day intra-squad match at Beckenham from June 13 to 16 as a final preparation for the first Test, which begins on June 20 in Headingley, Leeds. The match will feature members of both the main Test squad and the India A team.
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