Ahead of the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has highlighted the importance of adaptability for the team’s seamers. He emphasized the need to acclimatize to Sri Lanka’s challenging heat and humidity, as well as the variable conditions presented by the Kookaburra ball. Morkel stated that maintaining intensity and employing innovative strategies to apply pressure will be vital for success in the series, which kicks off on Saturday.
It will go soft after 25 or 30 overs, so we have to expect that. Because we haven’t played a lot of red-ball cricket in the last couple of months; going back into that is going to be a challenge as well,” he said, it’s about how we can stack up overs together with intensity and create that pressure.
If you’re a fast bowler, if you’re going to bowl the shortest spells, the energy you put into the ball and putting it into good areas — you’ll always have opportunity,” Morkel said, as quoted by Cricinfo. “Even in our playing days, I thought if you hit the deck hard here, you are asking lots of questions on a good length, you’re always in the chance of picking up results,” Morkel said. In these conditions, it’s all about your mindset. “As the Test match will go on, hopefully there will be a little bit of uneven bounce.
“Our skill is there, and the planning will be there, but the biggest challenge coming to Sri Lanka is the heat, the humidity, and the Kookaburra ball going soft a little earlier.
