Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 16 : India have added veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to their squad for the fifth and final T20I against West Indies after Arshdeep Singh sustained a blow to his bowling shoulder during the fourth match.
With Arshdeep Singh the only experienced specialist pacer in the side, India bowling coach Morne Morkel welcomed Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return, saying his experience and performances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) would bring valuable experience and depth to the team's relatively young bowling attack.
Morkel was speaking to the reporters on the eve of India’s fifth T20I against West Indies in Bengaluru.
“I'm really excited to have him back in the mix. He's done exceptionally well for RCB in the past, and I think his experience will add a lot of value to a relatively young bowling attack. So, it's great to have him back, and I'm really looking forward to it,” Morkel said.
As India continue to concede big totals and struggle to defend scores in excess of 200 in the ongoing West Indies T20I series, Morkel said the focus is on helping India's young bowling attack make smarter decisions under pressure at Bengaluru's high-scoring venue, stressing that consistent execution of deliveries such as yorkers comes with experience and game time.
The ongoing T20I series between India and West Indies has turned into a run-fest, with scores in excess of 200 becoming increasingly difficult to defend.
While India cruised to a comfortable eight-wicket win in the opening match after chasing 172, the second T20I in Ranchi exposed their bowling as West Indies chased down a massive 250-run target, reaching 252/4 in just 18.3 overs.
India bounced back in the third match, defending 223 to secure a 14-run victory despite West Indies scoring 209/7. However, the hosts once again struggled to contain the opposition in the fourth T20I, as Shai Hope’s unbeaten century powered West Indies to 247/3 before India fell 24 runs short.
“We discussed with some of the bowlers this morning to identify specific areas and understand what to expect here in Bengaluru. We know it's a high-scoring venue where our skills will be tested. We can do a lot of planning and have plenty of conversations, but for me, the key is to help a younger bowling attack make smarter decisions under pressure. At the end of the day, you still need to execute. You can talk about bowling a leg-side yorker or a wide yorker, but you have to be able to land the ball consistently. That comes with experience and game time,” Morkel said.
However, Morkel backed his bowlers and praised India's bowling unit for its execution in the series, stressing the importance of maintaining pressure from both ends.
He also lauded Prince Yadav for sticking to the basics, understanding his strengths and executing his skills effectively.
“I feel we've done really well in that regard in this series so far, but you cannot afford to have both ends failing to execute. That gives the batting side momentum, and once they get it, it's very difficult to take it back. I feel Prince Yadav, who came into the squad, has done really well in executing his skills. He keeps things basic and simple, understands his strengths, and sticks to them,” Morkel concluded.