Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Morne Morkel (Image credit: BCCI)
New Delhi: Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel has made it clear that the team management will continue to support openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, despite growing calls for 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi to make his international debut.Sooryavanshi has been one of the biggest talking points ever since he was selected for India’s T20I squads against Ireland and England after his sensational season in the IPL.
While Abhishek has scored half-centuries and 49 runs in his last three innings on the current UK tour, Samson has struggled, managing scores of 5, 0 and 1.However, Morkel said the team believes in showing confidence in the players who have performed well for India.“I think we just need to respect the fact that we’ve got the number one batsman, or we’ve got the number one batsman in T20 cricket, Abhishek Sharma. You know, Sanju was a World Cup player,” Morkel said on the eve of the second T20I against England.“He (Samson) has been doing great in the Indian Premier League. So, I think as a coaching staff, it’s only fair to show faith and support your players. Yes, there’s a young guy knocking on the door and it’s exciting.”
He added: “But I think that not only are these two players at the top, but for the rest of the group, it is a good sign that we are showing that we support you guys.”
“We do not want to expel players from their positions.”
Morkel said that choosing the starting lineup is not only limited to bringing in a new player. He stressed that the technical staff also wants to avoid changing players’ batting positions.“On a single day, it’s about putting performance on the board. That’s the key. But we also don’t want to think too much and knock other players out of their positions.
So, I think it’s not easy, okay, let’s play (Sooryavanshi).“It’s about supporting some of the players who have won the World Cup, who have performed well for you in difficult situations, and then also from there, we build and see how we can structure our team and make it the best it can be in these circumstances,” he explained.
“When he gets the chance, he will be ready.”
Although Morkel did not reveal when Suryavanshi could make his debut for India, he praised the teenager for settling into the dressing room quickly.He also said that the young man impressed everyone during training even though he was only 15 years old.“I think he’s filled the pitch very well. You know, I think if you follow the boys on Instagram, there are actually a lot of pictures being posted, with him in particular. At the net as a 15-year-old on the international stage, it can be intimidating.”“But I think the few nets we had were very impressive. And you know, we’re all excited to see how it goes.”
When he gets a chance, I’m sure he will be ready. But in terms of joining the team and adapting, it’s been very smooth.
Morkel praises Prince Yadav
The former South Africa fast bowler also praised young spinner Prince Yadav, who took six wickets in his first three ODIs.Morkel revealed that he worked with Prince during his time with Lucknow Super Giants and noticed his talent even then.“I was very fortunate to work with Prince while I was with Lucknow Super Giants. Prince at that time was a netminder and there was already a sign of him as a highly skilled person. I was amazed at how calm he kept things.“I think he’s also a guy who’s always looking for ways to improve his game. But at the end of the day, it’s about execution. If we talk about death bowling and that middle phase, how he reads the play, what decisions he makes under pressure and then executing that, for me, that’s great to see,” he noted.
Harshit Rana is in form after injury
Morkel also praised fast bowler Harshit Rana, saying it was encouraging to see him running strong after returning from an injury layoff.With the second T20I against England scheduled to be played at Old Trafford, the Indian team management looks set to continue backing its experienced players, while keeping a close eye on exciting youngsters like Sooryavanshi for future opportunities.