Nitish Kumar Reddy of India A bowls during the internal practice match between India and India A at the WACA on November 15, 2024, in Perth, Australia.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

In a city suffused with warm sunlight and nippy air, and above all, the inimitable tales about fast bowling, Morne Morkel strode into the press-conference hall at the Optus Stadium on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.

This grand venue may not have the history associated with the nearby WACA Ground which owned the tag of having the world’s quickest pitch, but the new entrant’s drop-in playing surface is expected to offer pace and bounce when the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy commences here on Friday.

It is a fact that Morkel, former South African pacer and current India bowling coach, is acutely conscious about. “Coming into this tour, we are probably under pressure, especially with our past performances. But it is important for us to put that aside and look forward. When you come to Australia, you want to do well. This is where you make a name for yourself. As a group, we are excited for the challenge, we know this wicket is going to be fast, bouncy, and it’s up to the individual to formulate their plans,” Morkel said.

Pace battery

Asked about how he deals with young fast bowlers like Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna, Morkel said: “It’s great to have them and they add a lot of variation, especially Harshit, he bowls at a good pace, finds a way to extract some bounce. Prasidh has had a bit of experience now with India, but for Harshit it’s a bit of an unknown. When I toured for the first time here, playing in Australia, it’s an intimidating place, but for me it’s just about staying in your own bubble and finding those experiences, working them out for yourself. Harshit is obviously here for a reason, has the skill, the talent, and just has to keep working hard and knock that door down.”

Morkel also praised seamer Nitish Reddy: “He is one of the young guys who has got that sort of batting all-round ability. He will be a guy who can sort of hold one end up and he hits the bat a little bit harder than you think. In these conditions where there might be a little bit of seam movement, he will be a handy bowler, very accurate. It is a lovely opportunity for him to fill that all-rounder spot. He is a player you can keep your eye on in this series.”

With Jasprit Bumrah stepping in as skipper while Rohit Sharma is away on a paternity break, Morkel praised the Indian spearhead’s leadership acumen: “Jasprit is a guy that immediately put his hand up and wanted that leadership role. He has been very successful here in the past. In the dressing room, he speaks well. And he is a guy with the ball in hand, who will lead from the front.”

Morkel added that young batters can learn a lot from Virat Kohli, and equally the bowling coach expressed satisfaction over Mohammed Shami’s return to First Class cricket in India, following a long injury lay-off.

Shubman Gill of India talks with Morne Morkel, bowling coach of India during an India Test Squad training session at Optus Stadium on November 20, 2024 in Perth
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Shubman Gill has been a quiet presence at the Indian team nets and much speculation has centred around his left thumb injury, suffered during a match-simulation exercise at the WACA Ground recently. Gill was at the Optus Stadium on Wednesday too while the venue geared up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy’s first Test from Friday (November 22, 2024).

While it is understood that Gill remains a doubtful starter, bowling coach Morne Morkel offered a more guarded perspective while interacting with the media. “Shubman is improving every day, obviously he picked up a nasty blow in that warm-up game. I think with him it’s going to be a day-to-day sort of process, fingers crossed for that improvement, but I think they will wait to make a call with him up until the morning of the Test match,” Morkel said.

With skipper and regular opener Rohit Sharma on a paternity break, the Indian team-management is searching for alternatives and Gill’s injury has thrown up a fresh challenge. Who will partner Yashasvi Jaiswal atop the batting tree remains a question and equally the number three slot has to be sorted if Gill is ruled out on the morning of the game. K.L. Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Devdutt Padikkal, now a part of the squad, are part of the mix, and all three had their batting stints at the nets on Wednesday.