India’s fast bowlers of late have been troubled by injuries. Be it Jasprit Bumrah or Prasidh Krishna or Deepak Chahar, all have been sidelined for varying periods. But Shardul Thakur is not on any such injury list and is currently sweating it out in the IPL.

The India seamer all-rounder, though a bit in and out of the XI across formats, has done his best to contribute whenever an opportunity came his way. Shardul does acknowledge that fast-bowling isn’t at all an easy job, but at the same time, he also explained the routine which can help a pacer remain fit.

“It’s challenging and not that easy. Fast bowling takes a lot of toll on your body. I had read that it’s scientifically proven that whatever you do, as a fast bowler, your delivery stride and the way you run in and bowl is completely the opposite of what humans are supposed to do.

“You are doing a lot of counter-movement of your hips and back, so it takes a lot of toll,” Shardul, representing Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing IPL, told The Telegraph.

Proper rest and doing the right things while training help in cutting down on injuries, Shardul emphasised. “When you come back after your practice or a game, rest is also equally important.

“You need to rest as much as possible and then, when you wake up the next day, you should start doing things for recovery like going to the pool, doing stretches, lifting weights at the gym and doing ground activities during practice sessions. That’s how you maintain yourself as a fast bowler,” the 31-year-old explained.

With Bumrah unavailable, there’s a fair chance of Shardul’s inclusion in the India squad for the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval in London from June 7. He could be having a role to play as a seamer and lower-order batter in the decider.

Although “ready for the big stage”, Shardul doesn’t wish to speak on anything India-related at present. But being an all-rounder, he does realise that balancing seam bowling and batting is not an easy task. “Balancing both is tough on our bodies, I would say,” he stated.

“It’s not easy to do all the jobs, as there’s fielding too. So you are doing three things on the ground: batting, bowling and fielding.

“And you have to practise equally for all three departments. It’s not that you just bat today and not bowl, and go into the game and straightaway start bowling.

“So you have to take care of your body and health and practice simultaneously, and that’s what is needed going into a game,” Shardul added.