Hardik Pandya during a net session in Guwahati© X (Twitter)
India's newly appointed bowling Morne Morkel had some tricky tasks to deal with ahead of the start of the T20I series against Bangladesh. Team India players, part of the Bangladesh T20I roster, had their first nets session ahead of the series opener, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya practicing his bowling. However, Morkel was said to be unhappy with Hardik's approach with the ball, and the two had a long discussion on the corrections that needed to be made. As per a report, Hardik was bowling too close to the stumps and Morkel wasn't happy about it.
During the nets session in Gwalior, Morkel was working on Pandya's run-up, especially when the India all-rounder was shadow-practicing his bowling action, as per a report in the Indian Express.
The report claimed that Morkel seemed unhappy with Pandya bowling too close to the stumps and explained the same to him. Morkel, who isn't the most talkative of persons, was constantly in Hardik's ear every time he went back to his bowling mark. Morkel also reportedly worked on Hardik's release point.
After concluding his work with Hardik, Morkel shifted his focus to left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and rookies Harshit Rana and Mayank Yadav, who received their maiden India call-up for the T20I series.
Bring out the speed guns, the pace battery has arrived! #TeamIndia | #INDvBAN | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/FM4Sv5E4s3
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 4, 2024
India completed a 2-0 series sweep against Bangladesh in the Test assignment and now the focus shifts to a 3-match T20I series, starting Sunday. Young stars like Harshit Rana and Mayank Yadav would be keen to reproduce their IPL heroics in the series, having been trusted by the BCCI selection committee.
The likes of Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag and Nitish Kumar Reddy would also look to make the opportunity count while the series also acts as second chance for mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy who has been absent from India's T20I colours for a long time.
India's T20 squad: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav.