Rohit Sharma’s difficulties were downplayed on Saturday by India bowling coach Morne Morkel, who emphasized the “calmness” the seasoned batter brings to the batting lineup and predicted that he would quickly settle into English conditions.
Before the third and final match against England at Lord’s on Sunday, Rohit’s scores of 11 and 26 in the first two ODIs have heightened the conversation about his future.
“It’s is hard work with a new ball up front. We have seen that in the entire series. The ball is moving around. So batting up front, it is not easy. No doubt Rohit will work it out,” PTI quoted Morkel as saying in the pre-match press conference.
“He has done it in the past. He is experienced and he just brings that calmness to the batting line-up. So, without a doubt, no worries and concerns at all with the way he is going about things,” he added.
India has additional batting-related worries going into the series finale.
In the second ODI, the middle-order was limited to a below-par 233 as England triumphed by four wickets because they were unable to take advantage of the launch pad provided by Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer.
Before unleashing their shots, Indian batters should acclimate to the pace of Lord’s pitch, according to Morkel.
“I think for them it is just to sum up the conditions, we have seen of late that it can be a tricky surface here at Lord’s. So, maybe, to give yourself that extra 5-10 balls just to get used to the pace of the surface, is going to be important.
“But, if you look at our top-order, top middle-order, they have played a lot of cricket. They are very well aware of the conditions and how to form partnerships and that is going to be the key.”
“As a team we always look to push that 10 per cent and look for ways to get better and we know in the 50-over game, it is about partnerships and if we can form that with bat and ball, it will be an exciting game for us,” he detailed.
Additionally, the former South African bowler urged the Indian pacers to figure out how to make progress in the middle overs.
“To be honest, the way we bowled in the last game was exceptional. Just looking at the numbers, the high speeds that the boys are generating, the areas that we have bowled in were great to see. We have gone with the thinking that we wanted to use Prasidh and Gurnoor Brar with that extra bounce in that middle phase.”
The importance of wickets in the middle overs was emphasized by Morkel.
“But it is crucial to get those wickets in the middle phase. So, we will keep on working on ways and trying to find how we can make those breakthroughs. I thought Joe (Root) played exceptionally well, classy innings (99 not out) there,” he said.
But according to Morkel, he doesn’t want to distort bowlers’ perceptions by giving them too many tips.
“It is a bit of a tricky one because one thing is you can share about past experiences about the (Lord’s) slope. You can give a lot of ideas. But also you need to be mindful that it is a day out before a game. You don’t want to add too many things for the bowlers to think about,” he noted.
There have been rumors that Morkel wants to quit following the current ODI series against England, but he seemed eager to support India’s bowlers in the 2027 50-over World Cup, which will take place in his own country.
“Living in South Africa and playing 20 years of cricket there.. my experience counts for something. There are definitely conversations about the World Cup and planning that potentially we can take forward, once we reach there or getting closer to the World Cup time.
“But for sure, I have learned my trade in South Africa. I understand the surfaces. I understand that the wickets can play differently in certain times of the year. Yeah, definitely I will put that forward to the team and to the table,” he added.
