‘No worries’: Morne Morkel backs Rohit Sharma despite scrutiny, urges India to fix flaws | Cricket news

Rohit Sharma plays a shot during the 2nd ODI against England. (ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel threw his weight behind him Rohit Sharma amid increasing scrutiny over the veteran opener’s form, insisting there are “no worries” and expressing confidence the former captain will soon rediscover his rhythm in English conditions.Speaking ahead of Sunday’s decisive third ODI against England at Lord’s, Morkel dismissed concerns over Rohit’s scores of 11 and 26 in the first two matches, saying the challenging batting conditions had made life difficult throughout the series.

Morkel backs Rohit’s experience and squad

With speculation intensifying over Rohit’s ODI future ahead of the 2027 World Cup, Morkel highlighted the opener’s experience and the calming influence he brings to India’s batting unit.“Working with the new ball up front is tough. We’ve seen that throughout the series. The ball moves around. So batting up front, it’s not easy. No doubt Rohit will handle it,” Morkel said.“He’s done it in the past. He’s experienced and he just brings that calmness to the batting line-up. So, no doubt, there’s no worries and concerns with the way he handles things,” he added.His remarks come after Rohit’s modest returns in the opening two ODIs reignited the debate over whether India should start planning after the veteran opener with just a year to go until the next 50-over World Cup.

The batting unit has been told to adapt more quickly at Lord’s

While defending Rohit, Morkel admitted that India’s batting as a whole needs to improve after failing to capitalize on a strong platform in the second ODI.Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer laid the foundations but the middle order could not accelerate as India finished with a sub-par score of 233, allowing England to level the series with a four-wicket win.Morkel advised the Indian batsmen to respect the conditions at Lord’s before starting to dominate.“I think for them it’s just a summary of the conditions. We’ve seen recently that the surface here at Lord’s can be tricky. So maybe give yourself an extra five to 10 balls just to get used to the pace of the surface,” he said.He added that India’s experienced top-order and middle-order know how to build partnerships and stressed that a steady hold with bat and ball will be crucial in making the decision.

Middle-over wickets remain India’s biggest bowling concern

Despite praising the fast bowlers for their efforts in the previous game, Morkel admitted that India still need to become more effective at breaking partnerships during the middle overs.He said the pace attack executed the plans well, especially with Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar making effective use of the extra bounce, but admitted that England Joe Rootwho remained unbeaten on 99, showed the value of denying the opposition easy wickets during the innings.“The key is to get those wickets in the middle stages. We will continue to work on ways to find those shifts,” Morkel said, while cautioning against overloading bowlers with technical advice ahead of a crucial match.