Injury worries in India: how to strike a balance?
A five-match Test series between England and India is about to begin. India already had four injured players before the series even begins. Mayank Agarwal is the most recent player to be removed from the tour after missing at least the first test due to a concussion, joining Gill, Sundar, and Avesh who were previously declared ineligible. How will management address India’s injury worries going forward?
Repeated Injury Issues
This is nothing new in Indian cricket as of late. The squad would have fallen even before the series began if it weren’t for the enormous skill reserve. With our second-choice batting lineup and third-choice bowling team, we can all celebrate and be in awe of what Australia has accomplished. But certain reforms are required if we want to be the major force like Australia in the year 2000 or the West Indies in the 1970s and 1980s.
In my opinion, there are two main causes of injuries. Either a problem with fitness or tiredness. I don’t think there are any fitness issues with the guys in the current pool. I don’t remember a player being dropped for a lack of fundamental fitness, with the exception of Chakravarthy and Samson in recent memory. The batters seem quick, and the bowlers appear powerful. It truly conveys the perspective of the athletic squad. However, the team’s regular injuries seem to be caused by the tiredness issue.
A surplus of cricket
The volume of cricket played during the year is often a contributing cause to weariness. The bulk of games are often played by the players with core contracts. Only the 2021 calendar includes the home and away series against Australia, England, Sri Lanka, the World Test Championship, the cricket id ICC World T20, and the Indian Premier League. With the exception of the Sri Lanka visit, which was an afterthought, the other matches are important contests under high-stress situations.
The BCCI has to address the workloads of the top players, particularly the multi-format ones, in order to reduce the tiredness problem. With more franchises expected, even the IPL schedule requires careful consideration.
The BCCI should aim to develop a team that is capable of winning games wherever in the globe. Speaking about Lloyd’s West Indies and Waugh’s Australia in the same sentence as Kohli India is appropriate. The fittest players must be maintained in place for this to happen. Similar to England, this depends greatly on rest and rotation.
The Planning
I believe there shouldn’t be more than 5-7 test matches played at home each year. Even the limited-overs series and IPL must follow this timetable. Players will be able to better arrange their training, rest, and recovery routine thanks to this. While doing so may not demonstrate a dedication to test cricket, it could demonstrate a desire to excel.
The world cup cycles need to be much better prepared for the 50 over format. The first two years must be set aside for giving worthy athletes a chance. The world cup final 15 will be streamlined using the last two. In the shortest format, players with inf-form will be better contenders than those with stats since the structure prevents players from finding form.
We cannot make up for players being hurt during a game since it is an inevitable aspect of the game; however, some muscle problems may be lessened by better scheduling of training sessions because we do not want players to get hurt leading up to a significant test series.
What do you think about treating India’s injury problems better? Please let us know in the comments.