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Talk Not Only When It’s Nipping, But Also When It’s Flat: Morkel’s Masterclass On Sledging
Follow UsIndia’s bowling coach has told his players to keep the chatting and energy high on the field
Morne Morkel is overseeing the senior Indian men’s preparation for the upcoming five-Test series against England, and so far, it seems like the conditions in training have been helpful for the Indian pacers.
As a result, there has been a lot of banter going on between the batters and the bowlers. Coach Morkel, however, wants the players to maintain this intensity even when the conditions are flat and not much is happening from the bowlers.
“In the two-day practice so far, the conditions suited the fast bowlers. It was testing for the batters, which also in a way helps them to prepare for what's to come," Morkel told BCCI TV.
"There's been a lot of good banter between bat and ball, but I think it's only because the wickets are a little spicy. As soon as the wickets go flat, the bowlers tend to back off.
“I'm going to tell them not only to talk when the wickets are nipping around, but when it's flat. That's where we're going to need the character at all times.”
Overall, the former South African speedster was quite elated with the energy shown by the Indians in training, and it reassured him after being a bit worried since India haven’t played red ball cricket for a long time coming into the series.
“All in all, happy with the start so far. I was a little bit nervous in terms of the lack of red ball we've played, but seeing how the guys are moving around and training in the last three days is a pleasing sight,” Morkel said.
“We have a fantastic group. There's some quality energy and that's what you need. You need to go into a Test series confident and have that team spirit.
“I think consistency is crucial in England, and there is consistency when we practice, there's consistency off the field, finding your process, what's going to work for you as an individual.
"We've got a great variation, variety in our attack, guys with different skill sets so they can do that and still execute the basics well,” Morkel added.