Jasprit Bumrah will begin gradually increasing his bowling workload this week as he continues to recover from an impact injury sustained during the ODI series in England.
Bumrah has been selected for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka starting August 15, subject to fitness. The selectors have picked him with the focus on preparing him to endure the rigours of Test cricket. He has played little longer-format cricket since the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati last November.
The 29-year-old fast bowler has featured only in T20 cricket, apart from two ODIs in England last month. He is currently at the Centre of Excellence (CoE), where the medical team will be closely monitoring his progress. "Bumrah will start bowling this week and his workload will be gradually increased," a BCCI source told TOI. "He needs to get used to bowling longer spells again."
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill is also making steady progress as he addresses his chronic neck problem. The issue first flared up during his first innings in the opening Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens and eventually ruled him out of the rest of the series. Gill has been consulting specialists outside the BCCI for treatment and is much better now, but it's an ongoing process.
India felt Gill's absence in that South Africa series, which they lost 0-2. The 24-year-old batter has also missed an IPL match due to recurring neck pain. "Gill has been battling the neck pain for some time," a BCCI source said. "It flares up every now and then, especially when he bats for a longer period."
Another Indian player, Sai Sudharsan, is also set to resume batting next week. He has been recovering from a hamstring injury and has been selected for the series subject to fitness. The BCCI medical team has shared a positive report regarding his availability for the first Test.
The focus is now on preparing Bumrah and Gill to be available in prime shape for the series in Sri Lanka. The two Test matches are very important for India, as dropping even one Test will put immense pressure on the team to qualify for the WTC final next year. The selectors are keen to have both players fit and available for selection.
Source: Yahoo Sports