As cricket enthusiasts gear up for the exciting T20 series between India and Ireland, slated to commence on August 18, all eyes are on the return of fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna.
While the T20Is might take a back seat due to the upcoming Men’s ODI World Cup scheduled from October 5 to November 19, the return of these two players holds significant implications for India’s pace-bowling attack in a World Cup year.
Bumrah and Krishna, both of whom underwent back surgeries, have staged remarkable recoveries under the supervision of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Having undergone rigorous rehabilitation, they have regained fitness through practice matches, and the duo is now poised to re-enter the international cricket scene.
The former India fast bowler who himself battled a stress fracture in the back in 2007, shared his experience on injuries and recovery.
Speaking to IANS, Balaji said, “When it comes to the match rhythm, something which is very important for a fast bowler, it gets better when you start playing. So you have to keep playing and it doesn’t matter how many overs you bowl in nets, unless and until you get into the match, and play in it, the experience you get from it is very important.
“Match experience is what makes you comfortable at the international level and as you play more and more, your body gets accustomed to the load and one gets to acclimatise to conditions. Also, the body gets to understand what are its demands at the moment,” said Balaji.
According to Ramji Srinivasan, the former strength and conditioning coach of the Indian squad that won the 2011 ODI World Cup, fast bowling is all about rhythm, which includes using certain breathing techniques.
Elaborating on this, he added, “Every time you hit your stride, you inhale or exhale accordingly. Breathing is directly proportional to the rhythm. So there are no doubting breathing modalities in fast bowling, which have to be imbibed in training and recovery protocol, especially ‘pranayam’ can really calm them down.
“Various techniques of breathing are there—some may or may not like yoga, get into zen breathing, meditation or diaphragmatic breathing, which depends on individuals. It’s very important to keep your heart rate down in breathing techniques and prevent any sort of anxiety. Fast bowling is proportional to bowling and rhythm.”
