Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer are edging back towards fitness, according to India bowling coach Morne Morkel, who admits the squad could do with some good news after a bruising few weeks.
Gill damaged his neck during the Kolkata Test a fortnight ago, while Iyer has been out since lacerating his spleen in Australia. Both will miss the forthcoming one-day series, yet Morkel sounded an optimistic note when asked for an update in Ranchi on Friday.
“I think the best is for the medical [team] to give that [update],” he began. “I spoke to Shubman two days ago just to check in with him and he is recovering well. So, that is pleasing to hear.”
“Shreyas has also started his rehab, which is great. So, we are looking forward to welcoming them back into the squad. The good thing is that they are healthy and they are starting their preparation on their way back into the team.”
For the moment, Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to take Gill’s spot at the top of the order. Who bats at No. 4 is less clear-cut, with Rishabh Pant and Tilak Varma both under consideration. That debate will run at least until the team management inspects the surface on match-day eve.
A change of format, a change of mood
India have lost five of their past seven Tests, a rare slump at home, and Morkel accepts the group needed a mental reset. Switching to white-ball cricket, he feels, should provide it.
“Look, it’s a change of colour by clothing and it’s a change of ball which always brings a different energy,” he said. “But I feel you know the South African team, they have that momentum with them and a confident Protea team is a dangerous team. It will be important to start well, for us to play good cricket over the next week or two, because they’re here to win.”
“Luckily, we have got some good experience ahead now in the team,” he added later. “For us, it is now focus for the next two days. Give ourselves the best opportunity to prepare well and go out there and put the last couple of weeks behind us and really focus on playing solid cricket.”
That experience arrives in the familiar shapes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who are set for their first international appearances on Indian soil since retiring from Tests earlier this year. The pair are already talking about stretching their careers to the 2027 World Cup, an ambition Morkel readily supports.
“I feel that their bodies can do that. It is still a long way away. The World Cup, by all means,” he said. “I have played many games against them. I have had sleepless nights bowling to them. So, I know as a bowler what goes through your preparation playing against them. So, for me, definitely on board with that.”
Surface dictates balance
Training on Friday unfolded either side of two covered pitches in the middle of the stadium; one will be unveiled for the opening ODI. Early signs pointed to decent pace and bounce—“almost South African-like,” as Morkel put it—which could influence selection. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, offering an extra seam option, is vying with off-spinning counterpart Washington Sundar for the final place.
“I think we will have to look at the wicket,” Morkel cautioned. “Honestly, I just walked past it now and it looked like a very good surface. Almost South African-like. So, I think the discussions will happen tonight in terms of what combination they look to start off with.”
With Gill and Iyer inching closer to full fitness, India’s line-up should regain its familiar shape soon enough. For now, though, the task is simpler: start well, keep the bowling tight, and take a little pressure off a dressing room that has had more than its share lately.
