‘Will work it out’: Morne Morkel backs Rohit Sharma to shine at Lord’s amid retirement rumours originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Morne Morkel backs Rohit Sharma and dismisses concerns over poor recent form.
- Says India’s batting unit needs to adapt faster to Lord’s conditions.
- Middle-over breakthroughs remain a key concern for India’s bowling attack.
India bowling coach Morne Morkel backs Rohit Sharma ahead of Lord’s decider
India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has come out strongly in support of Rohit Sharma, as he has brushed aside the mounting questions over the veteran opener’s form and voiced his confidence that he’ll soon find his touch again on English soil.
Ahead of Sunday’s series-deciding third ODI against England at Lord’s, Morkel addressed the chatter surrounding Rohit’s low scores of 11 and 26 across the first two matches, pointing out that conditions have made batting genuinely tough for anyone opening the innings throughout this series.
With talk building around whether Rohit fits into India’s plans beyond this tour and into the 2027 World Cup, Morkel instead chose to highlight the value of his experience and the steadying presence he brings to the batting order.
“It is hard work with a new ball up front. We have seen that in the entire series. The ball is moving around. So batting up front, it is not easy. No doubt Rohit will work it out,” Morkel said.
“He has done it in the past. He is experienced and he just brings that calmness to the batting line-up. So, without a doubt, no worries and concerns at all with the way he is going about things.”
India’s batting unit told to read the conditions better
While standing firmly behind Rohit, Morkel didn’t shy away from admitting that India’s batting as a collective unit needs to sharpen up, especially after squandering a promising position in the second match.
Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer had done the hard work of building a platform, but the innings lost momentum thereafter, with India settling for a modest 233 that ultimately allowed England to level the series through a four-wicket win.
I think for them it is just to sum up the conditions. We have seen of late that it can be a tricky surface here at Lord’s. So maybe give yourself that extra five to 10 balls just to get used to the pace of the surface,” he said.
MORE: Rohit’s possible exit from ODI team has put the pressure on Virat: Ashwin
Backing Rohit publicly is the right call now
Whatever the internal conversations around Rohit’s future may be, Morkel’s public backing makes complete sense at this stage. A player under this much scrutiny doesn’t need added pressure from his own camp days before a series decider; he needs assurance and clarity of role.
Experience genuinely does count for something at Lord’s, a ground that has historically punished batters who rush their innings, and Rohit’s ability to absorb pressure early has been a hallmark of his career.
The bigger concern, honestly, lies with India’s middle overs, both with bat and ball, areas that have repeatedly cost them momentum this series. If India fix those patches, Rohit’s personal form becomes far less of a talking point, and rightly so.
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