SYDNEY: The IPL was held in the September-November window in 2020 in the United Arab Emirates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The lucrative tournament is usually held in India during the April-May window.
India have had a spate of injuries since the IPL and also in the current Australia series. Australia too had its share of injuries.
“It is really interesting how many injuries (it) has been throughout this summer. I can’t help and think that the IPL this year (2020) was in really, probably wasn’t ideal timing for anyone, certainly for such a big series like this,” Langer said at a virtual press conference.
The latest addition to the Indian injury list is Ravindra Jadeja, who was hit on his thumb, and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who has been ruled out of the last Test following an abdominal strain.
Earlier, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav were ruled out of the series due to the various injuries they suffered.
For Australia, David Warner was a big blow but he recovered in time for the last two Tests.
Langer was all praise for the IPL saying it helps in development of young players but was critical of the previous edition’s timing.
“I love the IPL, I look at IPL now like I used to look at county cricket for our young players. They go and play county cricket and it helps them (in) their cricket development enormously, I think it is the same with the IPL, helps their white-ball development.
“But the timing of it…because of what happened with COVID…probably wasn’t ideal, and I just wonder whether that is having an impact on the injuries that we are seeing for both teams throughout the summer, so I’m sure they’ll review that,” said the Australian head coach.
Asked how much the absence of the Bumrah-Jadeja duo will impact the contest, he said, “Hopefully, it (absence of Bumrah and Jadeja) impacts it (the contest) a lot. But I have said this is going to be the survival of the fittest this summer.” “And I have said when I was asked at the start of the summer about Virat (Kohli) not being here…if you are taking your best players out of any team, whether it is our team or our opponent, it is going to have an impact or it is potentially going to have an impact,” he said.
Opener Will Pucovski has a partially dislocated shoulder and Marcus Harris would replace him if he fails to recover in time for the fourth and final Test against India here this week, Langer said.
Pucovski suffered the injury during the Sydney Test, which was his debut in the longest format. The 22-year-old was injured while diving on the field. The fourth Test begins on January 15.
“Will had a sore shoulder before he fell, he was actually going to have a scan after that day’s play anyway, just to see what was happening,” Langer said at a virtual press conference.
“We will see how he pulls up today, we are really hopeful that he will get up and if he doesn’t, then the obvious thing would be Marcus Harris would come in as an opener,” he added.
—PTI

Press Trust of India