India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel admitted that Joe Root has kept him and the Indian team up at night during the fifth Test at The Oval. Root’s wicket late on Day 4 brought great relief, as India tried to stay alive in the tense Test match.
Joe Root Wicket Brings Relief for India
Morne Morkel was visibly relieved after Root’s dismissal. The England batter had again troubled India with his consistent batting, scoring 105 runs off 152 balls. His edge to keeper Dhruv Jurel came while trying to guide the ball towards third man, a shot that had worked for him in the past.
“Oh, I was very happy, very happy. You know, Joe’s given me many sleepless nights, or us sleepless nights, and obviously, again, just showed his class today. Yeah, so very happy when we got the back of him,” Morkel said after the day’s play.
India still had a fighting chance as they hunted for four more wickets on the final day. England, however, looked strong at 339/6, needing just 35 more runs to seal a 3-1 series victory.
India’s Bowling Strategy Under Pressure at The Oval
India’s bowling setup for this Test has faced criticism. They picked two spin-bowling all-rounders and only three frontline pacers. The Oval pitch didn’t offer much for spinners, and the three fast bowlers had to carry most of the load throughout England’s chase.
This forced captain Shubman Gill to rotate pacers Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna often. India’s bowlers were pushed to the limit as they tried to hold off a strong England batting unit, led by Joe Root.
Morkel Explains Selection Choices in Final Test
Morne Morkel defended the team’s selection, saying the conditions and the pitch played a big role in deciding the lineup. The management felt that an extra batter would be more useful, especially with weather and pitch conditions expected to challenge bowlers.
“To be honest with you, that was part of the conversation before every selection so far, you know. We just felt leading into the test match, if you look at the wicket and sort of the overhead conditions for the first three days, they felt that going with the extra batter was going to be important,” he explained.
Morkel also pointed out that in earlier matches, their fourth seamer didn’t bowl much since spinners Jadeja and Washington Sundar could manage a few overs and control runs.
“I think in the last two test matches, our fourth seamer didn’t really bowl that much because Washi and Jadeja also could hold up an end and bowl some overs. And, yeah, they just thought, OK, having that little extra runs on the board, that was more important,” he added.
India’s Fast Bowlers Keep Series Hopes Alive
The final day of the match is now set up for a dramatic finish. England is just 35 runs away from a memorable win. But India will believe they can still level the series if their fast bowlers step up and grab four quick wickets.
Morkel remained hopeful but admitted that the team will take a close look at their decisions once the series ends.
“Yeah, 100 per cent. That’s a good question, and I think that’s something we’ll obviously reflect on after the tour, the things we could have done better,” he said.
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