Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is warming the bench in the ongoing India’s tour of UK. After failing to make the cut in the playing XI for two T20Is against Ireland, the 15-year-old was also ignored for the first game of the five-T20I series against England in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday (July 1).
The decision to leave Sooryavanshi out of the playing XI saw the Indian team management drawing backlash from the fans, experts and quite a few former cricketers.
On the eve of the second T20I at Old Trafford, India bowling coach Morne Morkel addressed the growing calls for Sooryavanshi’s international debut, saying the think-tank wants to back the experienced players who have won tournaments and done well.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shreyas Iyer have opted to stick with the World Cup-winning opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. While Sharma managed scores of 49 and 59, Samson has struggled, posting single-digit totals of 5, 0, and 1.
“I think we just need to respect the fact that we've got the number one batter, or we had our number one batter in T20 cricket, Abhishek Sharma. You know, Sanju was the player of the World Cup,” Morkel told reporters.
“He (Samson) had a great IPL. So, I think as a coaching staff, it's only fair to show faith and back your players. Yes, there's a young man knocking on the door and it's exciting.
“But I reckon for not just those two players at the top, but for the rest of the group, it's a good sign that we show that we back you guys,” he added.
Morkel also stressed that moving batters around can hurt their rhythm, especially since they have done so well in specific positions.
“In a day, it's about putting performances on the board. That is the key. But we also don't want to think too much and bat other players out of positions. So, I reckon it's not straightforward, Ok, let's play (Sooryavanshi).
“It's a matter of backing some of the guys who've won World Cups, who've done really well for you in tough situations, and then also from there, build and see how we can structure and make our top order as good as possible in these conditions,” he explained.
While Morkel did not provide a specific date or match for Sooryavanshi’s debut, he opened up on the young prodigy’s smooth integration into the Indian dressing room.
“I think he's filled in very, very well. You know, I think if you follow the boys on Instagram, there's already a lot of photos being posted, with him especially. At the nets as a 15-year-old at the international stage, it can be intimidating.
“But, I think just the couple of nets we've had, it's been very impressive. And, you know, we're all excited to see how he goes. When he gets an opportunity, I'm pretty sure he'll be ready. But in terms of coming into the squad and fitting in, it's been very smooth,” he said.
The former South Africa pacer also commended young pacer Prince Yadav, who has picked up six wickets from three international matches so far.
“I was quite lucky to work with Prince while I was with Lucknow Super Giants. Prince at the time was a net bowler and there he was already marked as somebody who was highly skilled. I'm just blown away by how calm he keeps things.
“I think he's also a guy who is always looking for ways to improve his game. But at the end of the day, it's about execution. If we talk about death bowling and that middle phase, how he reads the play, what decisions he makes under pressure and then executing that, for me, it's great to see,” he remarked.
(With PTI Inputs)
