Former World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev feels the bowlers need to bowl more in practice sessions in order to prepare their bodies well for the matches and thus avoid injuries. Dev is shocked to know that bowlers these days only bowl 30 balls in the practice sessions.
We have noticed that the bowlers are suffering more injuries and Dev wants them to build muscle in the practice sessions so that they do not crack under pressure in match situations.
Currently, India’s gun fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is out of action with a back injury. Bumrah had missed the T20 World Cup and he has been troubled with injury in the last couple of seasons. Furthermore, Bumrah will miss the first two Test matches against Australia and he is also doubtful for the rest of the series.
“Now the season extends to more than 10 months. The more you play the more injuries will happen. Cricket is not a simple game. One has to be athletic, use all the muscles and play on different ground conditions, the softness and hardness. Adapting to everything is not so easy, it takes a toll on the body. So you crack,” Kapil Dev said while talking to Gulf News.
“The more you bowl in the net, the more your muscle will start developing. Today, I am told, that the pacers are allowed to bowl only 30 balls. That’s one reason. When they take so much stress to play at the professional level, then the body starts cracking. They have to bowl more than anything else,” he added.
On the other hand, Mohammed Shami recently made a comeback after recovering from a shoulder injury. Shami returned with impressive figures of 3-18 in the second ODI against New Zealand. The fast bowler could be rested for the third ODI in order to keep his workload in check for the Border Gavaskar series.
The third and final ODI between India and New Zealand will be played on Tuesday at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore.