West Indies ODI marks start of India’s bowling audition for World Cup 2027: Morkel

India’s three-match ODI series against the West Indies will serve as an important audition for bowlers looking to secure a place in the team’s 2027 World Cup plans, bowling coach Morne Morkel said on Friday.

With the series beginning in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, Morkel stressed the need to give second-line players like Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar ample opportunities to prove themselves in different roles. He believes exposure to match situations will now be key as India build their bowling line-up for the World Cup.

“I think if you look at last year we tried to give guys some game time and see in different roles how they react. It will be the same now when we go into the series and look at New Zealand,” Morkel said ahead of India’s training session.

“Giving guys an opportunity with the ball in hand… I think it’s very important that those guys (Prasidh, Brar) get game time, get a feel for the standard we want to play. So yes, I think there will definitely be guys in this series to see what they can do in their different roles,” he added.

Morkel also wants the Indian bowlers to embrace difficult situations and not just focus on holding on to their place in the team. He said the ability to take responsibility when push comes to shove will be an important part of the team’s development.

“We have challenged the bowlers when the conditions are tough or there are certain partnerships that develop. I want to see guys asking for the ball and wanting to create those opportunities and not just sort of protect their own space,” said the former South African pacer.

The head coach wants to see how the Indian players react when the team is under pressure and believes that such situations can help them develop the temperament required for the World Cup.

“I think it’s going to be a great target for us if we can develop an approach where guys want tough situations. You know when we’re 30 for 4, who’s going to get that partnership and give us a hundred?

“So if we can throw ourselves into certain situations and guys can figure out ways to play that situation, growth will happen and that will help us,” he added.

WORKING WITH THE MEDICAL TEAM

Morkel also said that the team management is working closely with the medical staff at the BCCI Center of Excellence to map out individual return-to-play plans. injured players including Harshit Rana.

“We’ve got Harshit and all those guys that are still on the sidelines. We’re excited to get them back and get them in the game and get them back in shape. So that’s part of our job to sit down with the medical staff and map it out.”

“But there is certainly a plan for each individual. We will continue to monitor it and figure out the best way to give the selectors a group to choose from,” he said.

The former South African pacer admitted that it was frustrating to see front-line players like Rana and Varun Chakravarthy repeatedly miss matches due to injuries. However, he believes India’s depth gives the team an opportunity to assess other options.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s (frustrating). Obviously you want to have your strongest and fittest XI on the field. But it’s certainly part of the game that, you know, guys get injured at times when ideally we didn’t want them to go down.”

“But yeah, luckily we’ve got a fantastic back-up in the wings. It’s a great opportunity again for guys to, you know, go and play a game for India and make a name for themselves and compete.”

“But you know, really, hopefully we can get all the injuries out of the way now. And later in the year we’ll be fine and we can take it over,” he added.

For Morkel, the West Indies series is not just another bilateral assignment. It’s the start of India’s preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup and he doesn’t want the team to leave the process of building their bowling line-up to the final stages.

“For me, at the end of the day, whoever steps on the field now, until the World Cup, which starts on Sunday, they have to know that there is a certain standard that we have to achieve. I want these players to put themselves under as much pressure as possible,” Morkel said.

“I think the World Cup is the biggest stage. You can’t make a decision a month or a week before the tournament when we’re stepping things up now. I think it starts now with this series against the West Indies,” he added.

– The end