India’s ongoing Test tour to England has been hampered by several injury concerns, with the team losing three players before the Old Trafford Test that began earlier this week. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out of the series, while pacer Akash Deep was unfit to make the XI for the crucial fourth Test. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh too sustained a cut on his wrist. India had to then draft in Haryana seamer Anshul Kamboj on short notice after the pacer had flown back home post the India A tour with a shin injury. The incidents have made for an eerie throwback — when former India skipper MS Dhoni urged his players to report injuries, following a disastrous England trip.
Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings teammate, Kamboj, came under the scanner after the young Haryana seamer seemed far out of his usual rhythm during First-Class matches in India. Kamboj hardly clicked 130 kph on the speed gun, with former India spinner R Ashwin questioning his fitness. After conceding 89 runs in 18 overs for a solitary wicket between days 2 and 3, India captain Shubman Gill did not bring Kamboj into the attack on Day 4, when England mounted 669 on the board, the highest-ever Test total in Manchester. Reports had emerged that Kamboj had sustained a shin injury after the India A tour and had not reported to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence for rehabilitation before being declared fit and available for his maiden India call-up.
“I praised Anshul Kamboj yesterday, but I have to say that his bowling speeds were so low, I was quite surprised. I honestly hope he is okay, because he was bowling faster than this in the IPL. He looked like he was struggling a touch. All said and done, the only solution to this (injuries and inefficiency) is to be able to create a bigger pool of bowlers,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel after Day 3’s play.
When Dhoni asked teammates not to hide injuries
In 2009, India had a similarly torrid time with injuries and fitness concerns in England as they stepped up to defend their T20 World Cup title in the second edition of the tournament. MS Dhoni’s men ended up winning only two league games against Bangladesh and Ireland before losing all three matches in the Super 8s against England, West Indies and South Africa, and crashed out.
Shortly after the horrendous campaign, leaked fitness reports from the then team physio had suggested that India’s five senior players had carried various injuries and the issue was exacerbated when opener Virender Sehwag was ruled out of the tournament with a shoulder injury despite not featuring in any match.
“For me, it is is the team first and then the individuals and I’d hope it’s the same with everyone else in the group,” Dhoni was said to have told his teammates.
Dhoni also insisted players to report fatigue and not hide injuries to worsen the situation. “If rest is the cure for an injury, a cricketer ought to opt for it rather than let fatigue or niggle become a major setback to him and to the team.If anyone wants to take a break from the game, please let me know or the BCCI,” he was quoted as saying.
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After coming under fire for the World Cup debacle, the BCCI immediately backed Dhoni on the injury issue. “Dhoni has every right to advise his boys. Dhoni’s plainspeak will ensure that fitness level of the team improves,” the BCCI’s then media and finance committee chairman, Rajiv Shukla, was quoted by television channels.
