Team India’s Challenge Down Under
The year 2020 has been a frantic year for everyone. It is even more challenging if you are an international sportsperson.
- Almost 180 non-playing days in a year, inviting physical fitness issues
- Long durations of Bio-bubble - keeping you away from your friends and family - inviting mental health issues
Without a doubt, I have written both these points considering the Indian Cricket team. In this story, we’re going to talk about Team India’s physical and mental challenges in Australia.
Physical Challenges
Sportsmen and injuries go hand-in-hand. If you are playing the game after nearly eight months, you must take care of your body as a small baby. Ask Rohit Sharma and he can tell you a story or two about it. Unless you are a fitness freak like Virat Kohli, your physical survival for three months without a break is next to impossible. For the all-format team members, the break is way more important. Especially because they’ve played full 14 to 16 IPL matches.
To address the challenge, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohd. Shami, both were given a break from the T20I series down under. Not to mention, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli chose to skip the pink ball practice match, in spite of not having much experience od day-night tests.
Mental Challenges
The mental challenge is even bigger than the physical one. As they say “It is better to be on the bed with people around you than a physically fit you without anyone.” To play at an international level, one needs a lot of support and care from family and friends. Especially, when you are playing for a country like India: where you shoulder the expectations of 1 billion people to win every match.
And bio-bubble is a concept that does exactly the opposite. Being in a bio-bubble for long can drain you mentally. Barring Cheteshwar Pujara, all the team India players have transited to Ind-Aus team bio-bubble from IPL bio-bubble. So, many of them have been away from their families for a long time.
If you don’t know the impacts of bio-bubble, England’s Tom Curran and Tom Banton, pulled out of BBL10, for the fatigue brought in by the bio-bubble. And not to forget Suresh Raina, who didn’t even play a single game to avoid bio-bubble.
Let us hope that every member of team India take on the challenges head-on, and stay healthy.
