Indian management is under the pump before IND vs SL Tests | PC- AFP
All is genuinely not moving swiftly in Indian cricket. Injuries are halting the BCCI from selecting its best combination, which has become the biggest headache for the Gautam Gambhir- and Shubman Gill-led Indian setup.
The Indian team recently lost the services of Jasprit Bumrah, who has been ruled out due to a knee injury. Moreover, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana are already nursing injuries.
Indian Test and ODI captain Gill had already shown his disappointment with the injury and workload management after the series defeat in England. That said, the BCCI may be forced to take serious action, especially after the Sri Lanka series.
Indian management unhappy with head physio, other over fitness issues
According to a report from Times of India, head coach Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill are not too pleased with the BCCI physiotherapy team.
It has been said that the team management is unhappy with the head physio, Kamlesh Jain, the Strength and Conditioning Coach Adrian Le Roux and certain individuals at the VVS Laxman-led Centre of Excellence (CoE).
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"The role of head physio Kamlesh Jain is under the scanner, as is that of the experts at the CoE. These injury concerns aren't ideal because both the captain and coach have regularly struggled to field a full-strength Playing XI. How can one think about the right playing combination when even the 15 isn't their first choice?" a source told TOI.
"There is so much competition for each spot that a player is expected to push his body. This is where the support staff and the CoE need to step in. They need to raise the red flags and not rush players back into action. The situation is now becoming a bit embarrassing, and everyone involved needs to be held accountable,” the report added.
Shubman Gill seeking help outside BCCI for neck issue
As reported earlier, skipper Shubman Gill has lost all hope in the BCCI medical team, as the 26-year-old has decided to seek specialists from outside to address the neck pain, which he faced earlier this year.
Although he has been nonstop on the road throughout this year, Gill’s fitness has been a point of concern, especially with his neck spasms and hamstring issues.
The stylish right-hander was ruled out of the Tests vs South Africa after suffering a sprain in the neck at Eden Gardens. Moreover, he has faced hamstring issues on multiple occasions, resulting in him missing out on deserving centuries a couple of times.
It would be interesting to see how the BCCI go forward with the physio team after the IND vs SL Tests. Notably, T Dilip has recently lost his job with the Indian side due to a drop in India's fielding standards.
Busy summer for Team India in Sri Lanka
Nevertheless, the Men in Blue, led by Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir, will fly out on Tuesday (August 4) before they play a practice match in Colombo on August 7. Earlier, they were supposed to play a four-day fixture, which has been altered to three days, with the game to be played at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground.
The two-match Test series will kickstart on August 15 at Galle, before the caravan moves to the SSC in Colombo for the last match.
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