Sunrisers Hyderabad's (SRH) lead Indian pacer, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, said he has been slowly building up intensity of his net sessions after prolonged COVID-19 break and is practising keeping in mind the surfaces in UAE for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), starting September 19.
The sixty-game tournament will be played across venues in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, where surfaces won't offer much to the fast bowlers. Bhuvneshwar, though, thinks challenge for him is not too different from how it has been playing international cricket in India.
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“Technically, it’s not too many adjustments. The conditions are almost similar to India,” he told Hindustan Times. "The only thing is we play on eight grounds in India, and here we will play on three, so in that sense conditions will actually be similar to each other. Perhaps in the second half, the wickets will get slower."
Presence of Afghanistan legends Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi in their potential first-choice XI will take care of the spin department.
But the Sunrisers may rue not having enough experience in their Indian fast bowling group beyond Bhuvneshwar, with only one overseas fast bowling option, Billy Stanlake, available in the squad.
The Indian quick, however, said: “We have been able to defend low totals for many years. It could be down to the team strength. I won’t predict we will do it again, but that’s what we want to do."
"It does not matter to me who is bowing from the other end. My skills, ability and confidence matter."
Injuries have taken their toll on Bhuvneshwar's body in recent years, limiting especially his death-overs expertise. The pacer is making a comeback to professional cricket after going through surgery for sports hernia late last year. Bhuvneshwar will know as he approaches thirties his performances will definitely be looked at more closely than before.
“It happens with everyone. But with me it’s only recently that injuries became a regular occurrence,” he said. "No doubt it gets frustrating. But you can’t draw a line and say, I don’t want to get injured again, it’s something you cannot control. All you can do is to undergo rehab properly and do strength work."
Bhuvneshwar said with time and experience he has understood his bowling better in a career where he has gone from being a swing bowler with middling pace to a guy capable of regularly going close to 140kmph and bowl hard lengths.
“There has been a phase of struggle and changes as a bowler. There was this phase about swing and pace. With more experience, I know how I can have both under control. There were technical as well as physical aspects at play during that phase. The key is to understand the skills needed for specific formats," said the man, who has played 21 Tests, 114 ODIs and 43 T20Is for India.
The 30-year-old also hopes to claim his Test spot back. Bhuvneshwar hasn't played a Test match since 2018 when he went down with a back injury ahead of the tour of England.
The Virat Kohli-led Indian unit has also not missed the bowler much, with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami and Ishant Sharma around and other options awaiting their chances.
Bhuvneshwar, however, says it's not the case of India looking past him, but of the need to rotate the group of quicks as per conditions.
“Each bowler in our unit is different, everyone has his own skill sets, and those are for all conditions. That’s one good thing. But it’s difficult too, because to stay in the playing 11, you will have to be at your best, adjust to different conditions, be among the wickets all the time."
“There is healthy competition and it is visible in the Indian team; whoever performs gets a chance. You lose out if the conditions suit someone else or that person can perform better," he added.
