Bumrah and Morkel - (Source : @Johns/X.com)
On Wednesday, July 2, India will face England in the 2nd Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham. The players are working hard in the nets after a defeat in the series opener. The visitors are in dire need of a win, having suffered three consecutive defeats.
Meanwhile, reports have emerged that, to prepare better for the 2nd Test, the Shubman Gill-led side is practising with two-coloured balls.
Bumrah And Co Train With Two-Coloured Balls
Notably, Jasprit Bumrah, along with Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep, was spotted bowling with two-coloured balls. This practice aims to help bowlers transition away from white-ball habits developed during the IPL.
The Indian seamers had a long IPL season, playing with the white ball. To help them adjust back to red-ball cricket, the management opted for training with a two-coloured ball.
India Coach Explains Reason
India’s assistant coach, Ryan Ten Doeschate, commented on this new practice, revealing that it was also used before the first Test:
"It’s not a new thing. All the ball manufacturers make those balls. We talk about detoxing the bowlers, just getting the very basics right. And that’s the easiest way to give you an indication. Guys have come out of a long IPL season and the filthy habits of that cricket," Doeschate told reporters in the pre-match press conference on Monday.
"We don’t want that creeping into Test cricket. So Morne (Morkel) and the bowlers just use that tool to make sure the basic fundamentals are in place. We’ve been using it for the last two weeks," he added.
What Is A Two-Coloured Ball?
A two-coloured ball is polished red on one side and white on the other. In simple terms, it is a mix of both white and red balls. It helps bowlers focus on their line and length while transitioning between formats.
Since the players have played a lot of white-ball cricket during the Indian Premier League and developed certain habits suited to limited-overs formats, practising with a two-coloured ball helps them reset and adapt to the demands of Test cricket.
