Lord's ODI: Morne Morkel throws his weight behind Rohit Sharma
What's the story
Ahead of the series-deciding third ODI against England, India's bowling coach Morne Morkel has backed Rohit Sharma. Morkel threw his weight behind Rohit, who was dismissed for low scores in the 1st two ODIs. He scored a sluggish 26 off 47 in the second game. Morkel insisted there were "no worries and concerns" around the former India captain's batting. Notably, there are talks circulating on Rohit's future.
Sharma
Morkel backs Rohit to come good
"Like I said earlier, it is hard work with a new ball up front," Morkel said at a press conference.
"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. 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.
Performance review
'Intent is to always push that 10%': Morkel
Morkel also advised India's batters to give themselves an extra 5-10 balls to get used to the Lord's surface.
India suffered a collapse in the Cardiff clash, slipping from 178/3 to 233 all out and losing by four wickets.
Morkel acknowledged that at one point, the team looked set to score between 280-300 runs.
He emphasized the importance of always striving for improvement, saying the intent is to always "push that 10%" and get better.
Pitch analysis
Middle-order players aware of conditions, says Morkel
Morkel, who has played three Test series at Lord's, advised batters to give themselves time to understand how the ball behaves off the slope.
He described it as a "tricky" surface where "individuals need to take responsibility" and quickly assess conditions.
The coach stressed that India's experienced middle-order players are well aware of such conditions and how to form partnerships, which will be key in their performance.
Bowling critique
Bowlers did well in 2nd ODI, feels Morkel
Despite the batting collapse, Morkel praised the bowlers for their performance in the second ODI.
He said it was great to see his bowlers operating at good speeds and areas.
However, he stressed it was crucial to get wickets during the middle overs of a match.
The coach also confirmed that Harsh Dubey has been named Washington Sundar's replacement after Sundar's injury in the second ODI.
WC strategy
World Cup on the mind for India, says Morkel
Morkel's experience of playing 20 years of cricket in South Africa, one of the co-hosts for next year's World Cup, will be invaluable.
He said he understands how wickets can play differently at different times of the year and plans to share this knowledge with the team as they prepare for the tournament.
"We just have to play our best cricket when it comes to the World Cup time," he added.