India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel, before the fourth T20I against New Zealand, said that the team wants to keep all the options open for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Fourth T20I: The Plan
India has tried different combinations as far as the bowling department is concerned in the recent past, which ranges from resting Bumrah in the second T20I against New Zealand to playing with two leg spinners in the last two matches of the ongoing series against the same opposition.
When asked about the same in the pre-match press conference before the fourth T20I between the two teams, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said that one of the reasons for trying different combinations is to not allow teams to strategise against a particular bowler
Fourth T20I: Coach’s Corner
In the words of Morkel, “We’ve got a handful of bowlers that can bowl in every situation. Part of the thinking for us, leading into the World Cup, was to look at different combinations. We don’t want teams to have set plans against us.”
Fourth T20I: The Thinking
Morkel further said, “I think at the moment, we’re doing that quite well. If teams start to plan against us, they don’t know where we’re going to fit and how we’re going to play our cards. For us, it is important to give guys that opportunity in that role, to get comfortable in those roles.”
Another reason, according to the former South African fast bowler, for trying different combinations before the T20 World Cup is the scheduling of the tournament, as India will be playing on grounds with different dimensions and surfaces.
“Because of the conditions we might face on the day, we’ll go up with different game plans. But, yeah, to have that quality in our bowling attack that allows us options is always a great place to be.”Again, we’re going to use those guys as best as the conditions tell us on the day — in terms of who’s the best bowler to go towards a particular batter,” he said.
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Fourth T20I: The Importance
Morkel also emphasised the importance of all-rounders like Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya, and said that it gives the team the option of changing their bowling combination according to the conditions.
According to Morkel, “For us, it’s about getting those bowling partnerships, getting that sorted for the World Cup. We want to try and get teams down, six, seven, eight (wickets) down by the 15th, 16th over. So, how we can plan that with our bowling attack to get those wickets is going to be important. We’ve got 11 match winners. And that’s a nice position to be in.
“Everybody has got a certain X factor about them. So, yeah, for us it’s just to keep on having good, clear communications about their roles. And then they also know, the buy-in for this team is that there’s no guarantee of starting in the 11.”
So, what is the value that Axar, who bowled at the nets on Tuesday evening without much obvious discomfort after a finger injury that he sustained in the first match at Nagpur, brings to the table in India’s T20 setup? “Axar can bowl at all phases of the game, with the new ball upfront and the power play in the middle. We know how we can use him.”
Fourth T20I: The Progress
Hardik Pandya has been in magnificent form with both bat and ball since returning from the injury that he picked up before the Asia Cup final. Talking about the fast bowling all-rounder, Morkel said, “I think Hardik is showing his class with the ball in this series. He’s looking extremely fit and his body is in good shape, which is a massive bonus for us. Unfortunately, so far with the way we’ve been batting, he’s sort of lacked that time in the middle.
“He’s really focused on putting in a great performance for the team. Just to have his experience in the changing room is a massive plus point, bonus for us.” “He’s bowling at high speeds. Even on the last night, in the last game, on that surface, he’s got some good bounce. So there’s definitely a lot of energy behind his ball at the moment, which is great to see.”
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Fourth T20I: The Praise
Morkel also heaped praise on India’s fast bowling spearhead after his performance in the third T20I, where he picked up three wickets for just 17 runs, thereby keeping the opposition batters in check.
Morkel was of the opinion that Bumrah’s presence in the team gives the bowlers someone to rely on when it comes to unleashing their stress.
Jasprit is the best bowler in the world, highly skilful. But at the end of the day, everybody needs somebody to talk to, somebody to offload. The pressure he faces every time he steps onto the field… there’s always a lot of expectation on him to go and perform and bowl that magical spell, win the game for us in the death.
“As a bowler, sometimes that burden that you carry can take its toll. We all just need somebody to communicate. And for me, I always check in with Bumrah to make sure he’s comfortable, if he’s agreeing with our plans.
“Just to get him in that good mental space, because you know he’s world-class and it’s like a car, a Ferrari. If you can get the engine and the oil and all of that running well, the car will perform,” Morkel said before concluding the press conference.