INDIA TOUR OF ENGLAND, 2025
Joe Root got an unplayable delivery from Akash Deep that knocked back his stumps late on Day 4 © Getty
India bowling coach Morne Morkel heaped praise on the fast bowling pair of Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj for transcending the Edgbaston pitch and putting India on the cusp of a famous overseas win. On a surface that has remained good for batting going into the fifth day, the pair has accounted for all the 13 wickets India have taken so far, stepping up admirably in the absence of talisman Jasprit Bumrah.
“Very, very happy so far,” Morkel said after Day 4. “We had a deep or good discussion after the last Test in terms of areas we want to improve on, and I think we’ve done that. So that’s a pleasing sign from a growing bowling attack, missing one of their most experienced players so they can react to those sort of things.”
Morkel was particularly delighted for Akash Deep, who has emerged as a point of difference between the two attacks. His ability to relentlessly attack the stumps from wide of the crease has stood out, and he produced another moment of magic late on the fourth day when he castled Joe Root with a full delivery that angled in and seamed away late.
“He is an attacking bowler that asks questions, bowling at the stumps a lot,” Morkel said. “I think that’s one of the golden rules here in England: asking questions on the stumps. So for these sort of conditions in the UK, it suits his style. And coming back from injury and seeing him running in with high pace, it’s a nice sign for us.
“That was a dream delivery… top quality player Joe Root and to dismiss him in that fashion just shows the quality of Akash, what he can do. I think he is also a guy like all of us. The more confidence you give him, almost like there’s a little bit more energy behind the ball and hopefully that delivery he will play over in his phone tonight, and then bring a couple more of those tomorrow.”
The former South African quick also reserved special praise for Siraj, who has been willing to push his body to the limits for the team. While most discussions – rightly – revolve around Bumrah’s workload, Siraj’s tally of 3013 balls bowled since the WTC ’23 final is bettered only by spinner Ravindra Jadeja. He bowled gamely on more helpful surfaces in Australia late last year without much reward, but the five-wicket haul he so often threatened to take finally arrived in Birmingham, on one of the flattest surfaces.
“Siraj is a guy that I’ve got a lot of respect for,” Morkel said. “He’s a guy that always will push his body to the limits. I think sometimes the guilty part of him is trying too hard so for us. It’s about managing that sort of aggression and managing that intensity because he really bowls with his heart on his sleeve. I think sometimes those sort of things can give you that inconsistency.
“In a match that he’s now the leader of the attack, he got the wickets, but for me in terms of effort and energy and with a sore body, he’s always done and will put his hand up, and he wants to bowl that over. I don’t think sometimes we give him enough credit for that.”
Morkel also defended India’s short-ball ploy in the first innings as a justifiable method to prise out a wicket once the ball had gone soft. With India sitting on a mountain of runs, the tradeoff – including Prasidh Krishna’s spell reading 5-0-50-0 – was one they could afford.
“For me personally on this sort of surface, you want to set a field where you can still have both options: using the short ball and try and nick a guy off,” Morkel said. “I think at times when you get too predictable, it can be a little bit easier to score because the surface is slow. But remember both those batters are attacking batters. They were going to take it on, and credit to Shubman [Gill], he took a gamble there for a couple of overs to potentially get a wicket. England at the time was 80 for 5. So to chase another wicket there, there’s no harm in that.
“I thought we moved slightly away from our plans in the first innings, and in a way also with runs on the board you want to go take a couple of more risks but tomorrow for us it’s just going to be asking those questions on a good length because we know as the ball gets a little bit softer it is harder to strike.”
© Cricbuzz
