IND v AUS: Morkel says management seeks right team combination ‘with T20 WC around the corner’

Gold Coast, Nov 5
Morne Morkel, India’s bowling coach, spoke in depth about the importance of forming the right combination after the team’s loss in the recently concluded third T20I against Australia, saying that with the T20 World Cup fast approaching, the team management is not leaving any stone unturned to strike balance in the squad.


The two teams are locked in a five-match T20I series, with the fourth game set to be played on Thursday here at the Carrara Oval.

The series witnessed a fierce clash between the two sides, with the Men in Blue winning the second game and the hosts clinching the third match after the first T20I was washed out. However, both teams were tested equally, and questions were raised about the Indian management’s team selection after the visitors lost the second game at MCG before bouncing back in Hobart.

Morkel addressed the media ahead of the 4th T20I and spoke about the difficulty team management faces in forming the right combination.

"There will always be disappointment regarding players’ selection, but that's something, you know, at times, it's uncontrollable. We just keep asking them to work hard, train hard, and be ready for when they do get the opportunity. And like you said, there are limited games now leading into the T20 World Cup. So it's important for us to see how guys can react in certain situations under pressure; otherwise, it will be unknown for us. So it's about playing those sorts of games and maintaining the mindset to win if we can,” he said.

The former Protea cricketer was also asked if setting the combination for the World Cup was important even if it came at the risk of the team facing defeat, to which he stated, “Like I said, you need to have options available. Every team, if you look across the world, are playing around with options. Yes, we'll probably know one or two combinations that we seek, but I think you need to be in this game; you need to be adaptable, you need to know where certain players can give you options in different roles.”

“And if you're not going to try those roles and see how they handle the pressure in those situations, you're never going to know. And with a World Cup around the corner, you don't want to leave any stones unturned. You don't want to sit two years down the line and say, ‘if only we tried that or give this combination a bit more time, we would have developed.’ So, yeah, it's about playing it smartly,” he added.