‘No fear at all’: Morne Morkel backs Rohit Sharma despite scrutiny, urges India to fix flaws

Rohit Sharma plays a shot during the 2nd ODI against England. (NOT a photo) NEW DELHI: India bowling coach Morne Morkel has thrown his weight behind Rohit Sharma amid growing scrutiny over the veteran opener’s form, insisting there are “no worries” and expressing confidence that the former skipper will soon rediscover his rhythm in English conditions.Ahead of the series-clinching third ODI against England at Lord’s on Sunday, Morkel dismissed concerns over Rohit’s scores of 11 and 26 in the first two matches, saying the tough opening batting conditions had made life difficult throughout the series.

Morkel backs Rohit’s experience and composure

With speculation intensifying over Rohit’s ODI future ahead of the 2027 FIFA World Cup, Morkel highlighted the opener’s experience and the calming influence he brings to the Indian batting unit.“It’s a tough job with the new ball up front. We’ve seen it throughout the series. The ball is moving. So it’s not easy to bat up front. Rohit can do it no doubt,” Morkel said.“He’s done it in the past. He’s experienced and he just brings that calmness to the batting line-up. So definitely no worries and concerns about how things are going,” he added.His remarks come after Rohit’s modest returns in the opening two ODIs reignited the debate over whether India should start planning after the veteran opener with just a year left in the next World Cup over fifty.

The batting unit has been told to adapt quicker at Lord’s

Defending Rohit, Morkel acknowledged that India’s batting as a whole needs improvement after failing to capitalize on a strong platform in the second ODI.Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer laid the foundations but the middle order could not step up as India finished with a below-par 233, allowing England to level the series with a four-wicket win.Morkel advised the Indian batsmen to respect the conditions at Lord’s before trying to dominate.“I think for them it’s just to sum up the conditions. We’ve seen recently that it can be a tricky surface here at Lord’s. So maybe give yourself the extra five to 10 balls to get used to the pace of the surface,” he said.He added that India’s experienced top-order and middle-order know how to build partnerships and stressed that consistent position with both bat and ball will be key to the decision.

The middle wickets remain India’s biggest bowling problem

Despite praising the fast bowlers for their efforts in the previous match, Morkel admitted that India still needed to be more effective in breaking partnerships during the middle overs.He said the pace attack executed the plans well, especially with Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar making effective use of the extra bounce, but acknowledged that England’s Joe Root, who remained unbeaten on 99, showed value in denying the opposition easy runs through the innings.“It’s key to get those wickets in the middle stages. We’ll keep working on ways to find those breakthroughs,” Morkel said, while warning against overburdening bowlers with technical advice ahead of a crucial match.