Injuries to players have become a major concern for Team India during the ongoing England tour. Ahead of the fourth Test, Nitish Kumar, Akash Deep, and Arshdeep Singh could not be considered due to injuries. Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, fractured his right toe while attempting a reverse sweep off a Chris Woakes delivery on the first day of the Old Trafford Test in Manchester. This forced India to call up uncapped seamer from Haryana, Anshul Kamboj, on short notice, after the pacer had gone back home suffering a shin injury following the India A tour of England. The incident brought back memories of former India captain MS Dhoni, who had urged his players to report injuries, following a disastrous tour of England in 2009.

Dhoni’s remark resurfaced after Kamboj came under the scanner for bowling at a slow pace and looking far from his best. He bowled under 130kph, drawing ire from former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. After conceding 89 runs in 18 overs for a solitary scalp across Day 2 and Day 3, captain Shubman Gill did not give Kamboj the ball again. Due to India’s poor bowling, England managed to post a mammoth 669.

Reports emerged that Kamboj had sustained a shin injury after the India A tour and had not reported to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence for rehabilitation before being declared fit and making himself available for his maiden India call-up.

“I praised Anshul Kamboj yesterday, but I have to say that his bowling speeds were so low, I was quite surprised. I honestly hope he is okay, because he was bowling faster than this in the IPL. He looked like he was struggling a touch. All said and done, the only solution to this (injuries and inefficiency) is to be able to create a bigger pool of bowlers,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel after Day 3’s play.

Back in 2009, India faced a similar situation as they began their campaign to defend the T20 World Cup title in England. MS Dhoni’s men ended up winning only two league games against Bangladesh and Ireland, before losing all three matches in the Super 8s to England, West Indies, and South Africa, and crashed out of the tournament.

Shortly after that horrific tour, it came to light that five senior players had been carrying various injuries but did not reveal them to the captain or the BCCI. The issue worsened when opener Virender Sehwag was ruled out of the tournament with a shoulder injury, despite not featuring in any match.

“For me, it is the team first and then the individuals, and I’d hope it’s the same with everyone else in the group,” Dhoni was said to have told his teammates.

Dhoni also insisted that players report fatigue and not hide injuries to avoid worsening the situation.

“If rest is the cure for an injury, a cricketer ought to opt for it rather than let fatigue or niggle become a major setback to him and to the team. If anyone wants to take a break from the game, please let me know or the BCCI,” he was quoted as saying.

After coming under fire for the World Cup debacle, the BCCI immediately backed Dhoni on the injury issue.

“Dhoni has every right to advise his boys. Dhoni’s plainspeak will ensure that fitness level of the team improves,” the BCCI’s then media and finance committee chairman, Rajiv Shukla, was quoted by television channels.