'His body is in good shape' - Morne Morkel opens up on Jasprit Bumrah ahead of England series

Ahead of India’s upcoming five-match Test series against England, bowling coach Morne Morkel heaped huge praise on frontline bowler Jasprit Bumrah. The 31-year-old pacer, returning from a back injury that had sidelined him earlier this year, has reportedly been in sensational form during India’s practice sessions in England.

Bumrah, who had an impressive Test series in Australia late last year, missed the final day of the Sydney Test due to a back injury and subsequently sat out the ICC Champions Trophy. He made his comeback in the recently concluded IPL 2025 season. With his consistent back issues a major issue, India’s team management is taking a careful approach.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir earlier confirmed that Bumrah is expected to feature in only three of the five Tests against England, as part of the latter's workload management. The final decision on which matches he will play depends on the series’ progression and Bumrah’s fitness. Meanwhile, Morkel spoke about Bumrah’s performances in training. The former South African pacer was particularly stunned by Bumrah’s use of the Dukes ball in English conditions.

"Bumrah knows how to get himself ready, he knows how to prepare. I was blown away to see the energy on the ball the last three days. That's very exciting to see. I'm happy his body is in good shape at the moment. We'll manage him with that. We'll be smart with him because he's obviously key for us, but in terms of the first three net sessions, lot to be excited watching him bowl with the Dukes ball," Morkel told as quoted Cricbuzz.

Want to see the ball more in his hands: Morkel

However, the visitor's bowling strategy around Bumrah remains a big question. With the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Akash Deep in the mix, the team may opt for a seam-bowling allrounder in Nitish Kumar Reddy or Shardul Thakur. Notably, the Andhra-born all-rounder, who impressed with a century during the Australia tour, is also being pushed to develop his bowling by Morkel.

"The more bowling options we can have, the better. He's skilful. He's a guy that can bowl that magical ball, so for him it's about creating that consistency, it's something we want to work on, it's important for his game as well. I've had conversations with him where I've challenged him to bowl a bit more, and I want to see the ball more in his hands. We all know what he can do with the bat. But for a team, if you can have those bowling options, especially in these conditions, I think he'll be one to be excited and complement his bowling attack," he added.

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India will play a three-day intra-squad match from June 13 to 16 at Beckenham as a final tune-up before the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, starting June 20. The match will include players from the main Test squad and the India A team.