Birmingham, July 6
India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel was full of praise for Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep after the pair combined to take 13 wickets and put India on the brink of levelling the five-match Test series 1-1.

At stumps on Day 4 at Edgbaston, England were 72 for 3, still needing 536 runs with seven wickets remaining after being set 608.

“Siraj is a guy that I’ve got a lot of respect for,” Morkel said at the end of play. “He’s a guy that always will push his body to the limits. I think sometimes the guilty part of him is trying too hard. So for us, it’s about managing that sort of aggression and managing that intensity because he really bowls with his heart on his sleeve.

“I think sometimes those sort of things can give you that inconsistency. In a match that he’s now the leader of the attack, he got the wickets, but for me, in terms of effort and energy and with a sore body, he’s always done and will put his hand up, and he wants to bowl that over. I don’t think sometimes we give him enough credit for that.”

Siraj’s five-wicket haul on one of England’s flattest pitches of the century was a fitting reward after a long wait. “Very, very happy so far,” Morkel said. “We had a deep or good discussion after the last Test in terms of areas we want to improve on, and I think we’ve done that. So that’s a pleasing sign from a growing bowling attack, missing one of their most experienced players so they can react to those sort of things.”

On Akash Deep, Morkel said: “He is an attacking bowler that asks questions, bowling at the stumps a lot. I think that’s one of the golden rules here in England: asking questions on the stumps. So for these sort of conditions in the UK, it suits his style.

“That was a dream delivery... top quality player Joe Root and to dismiss him in that fashion just shows the quality of Akash, what he can do. I think he is also a guy like all of us. The more confidence you give him, almost like there’s a little bit more energy behind the ball and hopefully that delivery he will play over in his phone tonight, and then bring a couple more of those tomorrow.”

Morkel acknowledged the challenge ahead on a flat pitch. “Your skill really gets tested on a surface like that. The margin for error is a lot smaller... but it’s going to be a challenge for us tomorrow.”

On tactics, he added: “For me personally on this sort of surface, you want to set a field where you can still have both options: using the short ball and try and nick a guy off. I think at times when you get too predictable, it can be a little bit easier to score because the surface is slow.

“But remember both those batters are attacking batters. They were going to take it on, and credit to Shubman, he took a gamble there for a couple of overs to potentially get a wicket. England at the time was 80 for 5. So to chase another wicket there, there’s no harm in that.”

Looking ahead to the final day, Morkel said: “Tomorrow for us it’s just going to be asking those questions on a good length because we know as the ball gets a little bit softer it is harder to strike.”

‘Very, very happy so far’: Bowling coach Morkel lauds pacers as India close in on victory