Morne Morkel Urges India’s Bowlers to Elevate Standards

Although India has secured a commanding two-nil lead in their current T20I series against New Zealand, bowling coach Morne Morkel believes it is time for his unit to elevate their performance. Having triumphed by chasing down 226 in the opener and clinching a narrow victory off the penultimate ball in the second, Morkel emphasized that while the results remain positive, the team’s bowling standards must improve moving forward. In a chase of 181, the visitors had kickstarted the series by chasing down 226 in the first T20I and then clinched a win off the penultimate ball in the second.

Reflecting on the series, Morkel noted that the par score on the Christchurch pitch hovered around 180 to 190. “If you look at the par score with the previous venue [Christchurch], I think it’s about 180-190, if I understand correctly,” Morkel said. “I felt in game one, our execution in certain phases wasn’t as good as I would have liked it to be. But again, that is us allowing those guys to understand and trust their gut feeling. In a big field, you potentially can [take extra runs], sometimes in a big venue. No, but the boundaries are big, people always say. It’s just maybe reflecting on those spells that they’ve bowled, in terms of us telling the guys what to do. Your space of what you can hit becomes bigger. In a way, found our feet a little bit, i think we sort of. With a quick turnaround, it’s going to be a new sort of thing that we add to our books for the guys to get used to and accustomed with.

He acknowledged that certain phases of play in the first match lacked the desired execution, and some decision-making regarding bowling options fell short of expectations. While he praised the ground staff for providing quality surfaces—noting that scores exceeding 200 often signify a good batting track—he stressed that the bowlers must focus on their ability to execute plans under pressure. The team is currently treating these challenges as a significant learning curve, moving past the initial excuses of jet lag and demanding more precision as the series progresses. He admitted that certain decisions could have been wiser, and executed better, while Morkel defended the bowlers. “If both teams score over 200, it’s a sign of a good wicket. “As management staff, we can be slightly more lenient in that first couple of games with a travelling schedule, jet lag.

The squad is now shifting their focus to Wellington for the third T20I on Tuesday. Morkel warned that the local weather will provide a new obstacle, describing the conditions as a different beast. He shared that the wind was intense enough to shake the hotel building, posing potential difficulties for batting stances and overall stability at the crease. The coaching staff has encouraged the players to use the brief window of training to adapt to the gusts so they can focus entirely on delivery execution when the match begins. You’ve got a short little window where [from] a warm-up and a training, you can now try and get an understanding, how it’s going to affect you, but like I said.

Morkel also addressed the struggles of veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has conceded 99 runs across eight overs while managing only one wicket this series. Defending the paceman, Morkel expressed sympathy for the difficulty of returning to international cricket after a four-year hiatus. He noted that the intensity of international play presents smaller margins for error compared to the domestic circuits where Kumar has recently excelled. “I’ve got a lot of sympathy for his return,” Morkel said. “The reason why I say that is, there will be expectation after four years to come out.

To support his player, Morkel has urged Kumar to ignore outside scrutiny and focus on his natural game. The coaching staff has explicitly told the bowler to avoid overcomplicating his approach and instead strive to be himself. Morkel remains confident that with each passing game, Kumar will regain his rhythm and continue to improve, provided he maintains his composure and stays focused on his own performance metrics rather than external expectations.