Explained: Why Indian Pacers Are Using Two-Coloured Balls to ‘Detox Filthy ’IPL Habits Before IND vs ENG 2nd Test

July 01,2025
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Ahead of the second Test against England, the Indian pace attack is focusing on refining their skills by practising with both red and white cricket balls. This technique aims to eliminate the undesirable habits acquired during their extensive white-ball cricket season, which included the Champions Trophy and the IPL. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate emphasised the importance of this practice for detoxifying the bowlers and maintaining fundamental skills essential for Test cricket. The team has been using this method for the past two weeks to prepare effectively.
"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.
"We don't want that creeping into Test cricket. So Morne (Morkel) and the bowlers just use that tool just to make sure the basic fundamentals are in place. We've been using it for the last two weeks," said Doeschate.
Will Bumrah Play The IND vs ENG 2nd Test
Shedding light on the availability of Bumrah, Doeschate said that a call will be taken in the next 24 hours. "He's available for the game obviously. We know from the start he's only going to play three out of the five. He's had eight days to recover from the last test,” said Doeschate
"But given conditions and workload and how we think we can best manage for the next four games, we haven't made a call on that. We're going to see what the other guys are with their workload as well.
"If we feel like there's value in playing him in this Test, we'll make that call at the very last minute. But I'm talking about weather, how the pitch is going to play. Are we better off holding him back for Lord's and maybe Manchester or the Oval? So it's all those factors."
(With Agency Inputs)