Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell made a huge statement ahead of India’s WTC final against New Zealand and the subsequent England tour. India will play the final between June 18-22 after which they will play a five-Test match series against England starting from August 4. He also mentioned that the bio-bubble life had had a negative impact on players.
In his latest column for ESPN Cricinfo, Chappell recalled the 2020-21 Australia vs India Border-Gavaskar Trophy where the host pacers ‘wore down’ while the touring party managed to stay fresh despite being hampered by injuries.
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COVID Had Negative Impact On Players: Ian Chappell
“The Covid-ravaged world has meant cricketers spend extended periods in bubbles, which challenges their skills and their mental health. It has also resulted in scheduling that has Test matches crammed together, which is physically and mentally demanding, especially for the fast bowlers,” Chappell wrote.
“This was highlighted in the last Australia-India series, where the home side used the same fast-bowling trio in all four Tests. As the Australian pace bowlers wore down in the final stages of the series, their Indian counterparts may have caught a break as injuries meant they had to constantly change personnel,” he added.
During the series, senior Indian pacers, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami coped up with injuries which ruled them out of the series. Jasprit Bumrah too was ruled out of the fourth Test with an abdominal injury. However, the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar and Navdeep Saini backed up the senior bowlers and delivered matchwinning performances.
India Have Good Depth In Pace Attack: Ian Chappell
“During the series, the senior Indian pacer picked up injuries and kept on getting ruled out. However, the youngsters stepped up and showcased played a crucial role in India’s series triumph. India is one of the few teams who have enough skilled quick bowlers in reserve to meet the challenges of the schedule and still remain competitive” said Chappell.
The ICC World Test Championship final will be Virat Kohli’s maiden ICC trophy if he wins it. However, they have a more than competitive team in New Zealand who are better adept at playing in the given conditions in the UK.
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