Rohit Sharma plays a shot during the second ODI against England. (Annie’s photo)
NEW DELHI: India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has thrown his weight behind Rohit Sharma amid growing scrutiny over the veteran opener’s form, insisting there are “no concerns” and expressing confidence that the former skipper will soon rediscover his rhythm in English conditions.Speaking ahead of Sunday’s crucial third ODI against England at Lord’s, Morkel dismissed concerns about Rohit’s scores of 11 and 26 in the first two matches, saying difficult conditions for the opening batsmen had made life difficult throughout the series.
Morkel backs Rohit’s experience and composure
As speculation mounts over Rohit’s ODI future ahead of the 2027 World Cup, Morkel highlighted the opener’s experience and the calming influence he brings to India’s batting unit.“It’s hard work with a new ball in front. We’ve seen that in the whole series. The ball is moving. So batting in front is not easy. There’s no doubt that Rohit will do it,” Morkel said.“He’s done that in the past. He’s experienced and brings that calmness to the team. So, without a doubt, there’s no need to worry at all about the way he handles things.”His comments come after Rohit’s modest comeback in the first two ODIs reignited the debate over whether India should start planning beyond the veteran opener with just a year to go before the next 50-over World Cup.
The batting unit was asked to adapt quicker at Lord’s
While defending Rohit, Morkel acknowledged that Indian batting as a whole needs to improve after failing to capitalize on a strong platform in the second ODI.Virat Kohli and
Shreyas Iyer
It laid the foundation, but the middle order was not to be speeded up as India finished with an under-par score of 233, allowing England to level the series with a four-wicket victory.Morkel advised speculators in India to respect the conditions at Lord’s before looking to take control.“I think for them it’s just a summation of conditions. We’ve seen recently that it can be a difficult surface here at Lord’s. So maybe give yourself five to 10 extra balls just to get used to the pace of the surface,” he said.He added that India’s experienced senior and middle-order players know how to build partnerships and stressed that consistent standing with bat and ball will be key in the deciding match.
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Wickets in the middle remain the biggest concern for India’s bowling
Although the fast bowlers were praised for their efforts in the previous match, Morkel admitted that India still needed to become more effective in breaking partnerships through the middle.He said that the pace attack executed the plans well, especially with Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar using the extra rebound effectively, but he acknowledged that the England national team
Joe Root
Unbeaten with 99, he showed the value of denying the opposition easy passes during the innings.“It’s important to get those wickets in the middle overs. We will continue to work on ways to find those breakthroughs,” Morkel said, while also warning against overloading bowlers with technical advice before the deciding match.