India begins a three-match ODI series against West Indies on Sunday at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, with the 2027 World Cup in South Africa a little over a year away. The series marks the start of India’s preparation phase for the tournament, where the team will aim to lift a third World Cup title after missing out in the final in 2023. India have lost two of their last three ODI series and will be looking to gather momentum heading into next year’s competition.
Morne Morkel, India’s bowling coach, has outlined a clear strategy for the upcoming matches and the broader World Cup preparation. The coaching staff has used the past year to test fringe bowlers in different roles and plan to continue this approach through the West Indies series and India’s tour of New Zealand later in the year. Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar are among the players who need game time to develop their skills at the required standard.
“I think if you look at the last year, we’ve been trying to give guys some game time and see in different roles how they react. It will be the same now leading into the series and looking at New Zealand (series),” Morkel was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
Testing fringe bowlers in different roles
The likes of Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar will be central to India’s bowling development plans during this phase. Morkel stressed the importance of hands-on experience for these players to understand the standard required at international level.
“To give guys opportunity with ball in hand… I think it’s very important for these guys to get game time and a feel of the standard that we’re looking to play. So yeah, I think in this series there will definitely be opportunities given to guys to see what they can do in their different roles,” Morkel added.
“We’ve challenged the bowlers when conditions are tough or there’s certain partnerships that are developing. I want to see guys asking for the ball and wanting to create those opportunities and not be sort of protecting their own space,” Morkel said.
Building resilience under pressure
Head coach Gautam Gambhir has reinforced the importance of key players in India’s World Cup plans. Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are regarded as extremely important to the team’s prospects in South Africa, with Gambhir noting that the team cannot enter a World Cup without full preparation.
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“I think that will be a great goal for us if we can develop that attitude… You know, if we are maybe 30 for 4, who’s going to get that partnership and get us a hundred? “So if we can throw ourselves into certain situations and the guys can figure out ways to play that situation, that will help us down the line,” Morkel said.
Morkel has also highlighted the potential of other players on the sidelines, including Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who could strengthen India’s all-rounder options.
“We have got Harshit and all those guys who are still on the sidelines. We’re excited to get them back and fit again. So, that’s part of our jobs to sit with the medical staff and map that out. But there’s definitely a plan for every individual. We’ll keep on monitoring and coming up with the best way forward to give the selectors a group to pick from,” Morkel concluded.
