"Blown away to see the energy on the ball" - Morne Morkel on India pacer ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Team India's bowling coach Morne Morkel is impressed by Jasprit Bumrah's preparations ahead of the first Test against England, beginning on June 20 in Leeds. He said he has been blown away by Bumrah's energy on the ball.

The right-arm speedster hasn't played for India since the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney earlier this year. Although Bumrah racked up 32 wickets in the five-Test series against Australia, he couldn't bowl on the final day of it due to a back injury.

On Wednesday, the former South African speedster said that India have to be smart with Bumrah, given the potential of his impact in England. He said, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo:

"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."

Bumrah also had a promising IPL season despite the Mumbai Indians' campaign ending before reaching the final. The Ahmedabad-born cricketer took 18 wickets in 12 matches at 17.55 alongside a stunning economy rate of 6.55.

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"I've challenged him to bowl a bit more" - Morne Morkel on Team India all-rounder

Morne Morkel. (Image Credits: Getty)

Morkel went on to disclose that he has encouraged Nitish Kumar Reddy to bowl a bit more in England than he did in Australia. This is due to the options that the tourists will need. The 40-year-old added:

"The more bowling options we can have, that's great. He's skillful. 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 where I've challenged him to bowl a bit more. I want to see the ball more in his hands, we all know what he can do with the bat. For a team, if we can have the bowling options especially in these conditions, I think he'll be exciting and can complement this bowling attack."

Team India are targeting their first series win in England since 2007. They will play five Tests in the upcoming series.