"His bowling action and the way he goes about it does put a lot of stress on his body" - Glenn McGrath on Jasprit Bumrah 

Former Australian pacer Glenn McGrath spoke about Jasprit Bumrah's ongoing injury woes, which he believes stem from the Indian's high-load action as well as the modern-day workload.

Bumrah's last international appearance came during the home series against Australia in September 2022. The right-arm pacer initially sustained the injury during the tour of England and was subsequently ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2022 as well as the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL).

He opted to have surgery to treat his back injury and is on course to make his comeback during the tour of Ireland, where he will be leading Team India in the three-match T20I series. The management expects him to slowly increase his load, with important tournaments like the 2023 Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup on the horizon.

McGrath stated that Bumrah should remain strong in order to prolong his international career.

"Bumrah is exceptional, and he is unique. The way he bowls, his run-up, and his delivery stride are very unique. But his bowling action and the way he goes about it does put a lot of stress on his body, so he needs to stay strong. If he does that, he can play quite a few years for India," he told Sportstar.

He further spoke about the harsh reality of modern-day cricket for the pacers as well. Citing workload as a key issue, McGrath added:

"The current international schedule, the IPL and other T20 tournaments makes it harder for fast bowlers like Bumrah to play in all three formats but some bowlers can do it.”

Jasprit Bumrah is a vital cog in the Indian setup and his presence is vital for the team to try and claim the elusive silverware on home soil in a few months' time.

---

"If you succeed here, you can be successful anywhere" - Glenn McGrath on pace bowling in India

The subcontinent venues are unforgiving for the pacers. Barring reverse swing, which has become a rarity these days, the seam bowlers do not have much to look forward to. The lack of pace and bounce coupled with unrelenting heat makes it hard for a pacer to make an impression and it is largely the spinners, who do the bulk of the work.

Glenn McGrath noted that India is the toughest place to become a pace bowler.

"India is the toughest place to be in as a fast bowler. But if you succeed here, you can be successful anywhere. “What makes India as we know are the conditions. They know how to bat and bowl well in these conditions. So if you prepare a bouncy track that is not India," he explained.

The former Australian bowler also shed light on workload and using James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Courtney Walsh as examples, explained the essentials of longevity.

"There is a lot of cricket played these days. It puts a strain on your body, but you have to know how to recover and find time to put strength back on your body,” McGrath added.

"Guys like James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Courtney Walsh played for many years as they knew how to manage their bodies. I worked hard on my fitness, and I had an easy action which made my comeback from Injury easier," he concluded.

Stuart Broad recently announced his retirement from the sport following the 2023 Ashes. James Anderson, 41, however, is still going strong and is a candidate to make it to England's squad for their five-match Test series in India.