Nitish Reddy can produce “magical” deliveries, but India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel wants the batting all-rounder to bowl more overs to complement his primary skill-set of batting in the upcoming five-Test series against England.

Reddy, who scored a Test hundred against Australia at the MCG in last year’s ‘Boxing Day’ Test is fighting for a seam bowling all-rounder’s slot in the playing XI with seasoned Shardul Thakur, who is more of a seamer.

Reddy bowled 26.5 overs in the two ‘Tests’ against England Lions, and Morkel has “challenged” his ward to bowl more.

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“I think he (Reddy) is skilful. He is a guy who can bowl that magical ball. So, for him, it is about creating that consistency, and that’s something we want to work on. It’s important for his game as well,” the former South African fast bowling great said on the sidelines of India’s training session.

“I’ve had conversations with him where I’ve challenged him to bowl a bit more. I want to see the ball more in his hands. We all know what he can do with the bat. But for a team, if you can have those bowling options, especially in these conditions, I think he’ll be one to be excited and compliment his bowling at that,” said Morkel.

Nitish or Shardul?

Morkel predictably didn’t want to reveal team management’s cards when asked who between Reddy and 11-Test-old Shardul Thakur will get the nod for the Leeds Test.

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“In terms of the balance, we’ve got very happy with that. But for us as a bowling unit, finding that gear that we’re going to need in Test matches is going to be important.” The lanky former Proteas spoke about possible match-ups.

“We’ve spoken a lot about how we’re going to go about playing and match-up England. But I think so far we’re in the right way in terms of doing the preparation. And for us, like you say, when it comes to match day, with the ball, it’s about execution.” Morkel is confident that the Indian team has covered all its bases in terms of squad election.

“I think in terms of that we cover, like you say, all the bases. But for us now, the key thing is to get Test match fit… we haven’t played Test matches for a while now.

“In England, the conditions can suit you, and it’s overcast, but still, it’s going to be good surfaces. I think we’re going to be testing that. The key is to have players fit and match-ready, ensuring that they stay 90 overs on the field,” said Morkel.

FILE – India’s Shardul Thakur bowls during the second day of the first Test cricket match between India and South Africa, at SuperSport Park Stadium, in Centurion, South Africa, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
PTI

“We’ve only had three sessions so far. We’ve got a four-day warm-up game (vs India A) starting in two days. I’m going to be more interested to see how our guys go in that four-day game,” Morkel said.

While India has already had three sessions, Morkel said it is not a great indicator of a player’s physical ability to stay on the field.

“It’s one thing judging a net session, but for our guys to stand in the field, getting used to doing 90 overs in the field, that’s going to take some time. We need to realise that, and we need to be patient with that.

“We need to find a way to get up to speed as quickly as possible because that’s going to be a real test.”

Morkel feels that sudden changes in temperature and chilly weather can lead too to stiffness.

“English outfields are quite heavy. The weather conditions are quite cold, so your body can stiffen up. So it’s one thing for me ticking a box, doing well in the nets, but again, it’s that match fitness, that time in the field that we need to, as quickly as possible, find a way to get up to speed with.”

Taking ownership and responsibility

Morkel couldn’t be happier watching the players take ownership and responsibility during training sessions.

“I think that’s one of the things that has impressed me so much in these two-day sessions we’ve had. The guys sort of stepped up by themselves. They’ve taken that ownership, that responsibility, and realised that it’s going to be a tough tour.

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“I think that’s the pleasing thing as coaches, to see guys taking that leadership and ownership in practice.” Morkel also brushed away the theory about Jasprit Bumrah being under-cooked with only some IPL matches in his kitty.

“He (Bumrah) knows how to get himself ready. He knows how to prepare. And like you say, I was blown away to see the energy in the ball the last three days. So that’s very exciting to see happy ‘Boom’.” “I’m just happy his body is in good shape at the moment, and we’ll manage him with that. And we’ll be smart with him because he’s obviously key for us,” he concluded.