India have 'bulletproof' plan for bowlers' workload management on New Zealand tour, Morkel says
India have a "bulletproof" plan to manage their bowlers on the New Zealand tour, bowling coach Morne Morkel said on the eve of the third T20I, ahead of a schedule of five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests with the first Test starting on November 19. Morkel also confirmed left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh remains in contention for a potential Test debut.
Morkel said the touring strategy had been mapped in advance and that bowlers understand their expected roles and workloads across formats. "We've mapped out this tour once before. Every bowler is clear in terms of what's expected of them in terms of workloads, in terms of bowling," Morkel said. The coaching group intends to rotate players to preserve freshness for the red-ball matches given the compressed calendar.
India will draw on the India A programme and the ODI series to prepare bowlers for the Tests and to provide game time where needed. "There are a couple of guys on the A side getting ready for red-ball cricket. In the 50-over series, we will also rotate and give guys the game time they need to get ready for the Test matches," Morkel said.
Morkel acknowledged the tight turnaround limits recovery but said the management has contingency plans and depth in the squad. "Touch wood, it's a bulletproof plan at the moment in terms of how we've mapped everything out, but unfortunately, not everything goes according to plan," he said. "The backup we've got, the combinations are all in place in terms of rotation and making sure we get ready for the red-ball Tests and the 50-over series. Everybody's ready, including Bumrah," Morkel added.
Arshdeep, who has not yet played Test cricket, is being considered as additional pace cover for the longer format because of his ability to move the ball. The bowling coach spoke positively about his adaptability: "On paper and in the back of our minds, there is a nice group of bowlers that can suit all conditions, and Arshdeep is definitely in that conversation. He's a guy that always works hard and ticks all the boxes, so if needed with the red ball, I'm pretty sure he'll be fine," Morkel said.
Because of the schedule, India are considering leaving a contingent of bowlers in New Zealand as local cover. "We are planning a group of bowlers that we would like to potentially stay behind as cover because of the schedule," Morkel said.
India will finalise their Test bowling combination closer to the series, once conditions become clearer. For Arshdeep, the tour could offer an opportunity to move beyond his established role in white-ball cricket and enter the red-ball reckoning.
