India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, cleared the air regarding the absence of Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya from the field in the second innings against Sri Lanka in their final Super Fours game. With the final against Pakistan scheduled after a short turnaround time on Sunday, the concerns for the duo’s fitness were raised at the post-match conference, which Morkel denied.
Pandya, who took the new ball for India while defending 203, left the field after bowling the first over, in which he dismissed Kusal Mendis for a duck. He remained off the field for the rest of the innings. Morkel said Pandya, who was seen clutching his hamstring on his way out of the ground, had cramps which will be assessed on Sunday before making a call on his inclusion in the final.
“Hardik had cramps, he will be assessed tonight and tomorrow morning, we’ll then take a call on that,” Morkel said at the post-match press conference.
Abhishek too left the field almost halfway through Sri Lanka’s innings, not to return for the remainder of the game. He seemed to have sensed some discomfort in his right thigh, which he grasped while running during the ninth over. Midway through the next over, he left the field, and did so as some drama transpired in the middle. Varun Chakravarthy bowled despite the umpire signalling a dead ball, as Abhishek wasn’t entirely off the field. Pathum Nissanka, who also missed the signal, lofted it for a six, which Axar Patel fumbled to catch in deep. The ball was reballed again, this time a sub standing in Abhishek’s place.
By the time the game finished, which ran over its designated time thanks to a Super Over, it was already past 11 PM (local time), approximately 44 hours before the final begins in Dubai. Pakistan team, on the other hand, has been off field since their fixture against Bangladesh on Thursday, getting plenty of time to recover before what will be the first-ever India-Pakistan Asia Cup Final.
“The key for the boys is to rest,” Morkel said. “They’re in an ice bath already. The recovery started straight after the match. The best way to recover is sleep and stay off your feet. Hopefully, they can get a good night’s sleep.
“There will be individual pool sessions for the guys organised. Then some massages before they get mentally ready for the big battle on Sunday. It’s a quick turnaround, and playing smart is going to be the key. There will certainly be no training.”
Morkel also acknowledged that it hasn’t been easy for young pacers Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, who have warmed the bench throughout the tournament except for two inconsequential games. The pair conceded 100 runs for one wicket each in their eight-over quota against Sri Lanka. However, the Indian bowling coach said every player is expected to deliver when needed, even if done so without any game time.
“In our environment, we want to move away from an excuse culture,” he said. “The effort they put in at training, we expect them to go out there and deliver. Yes, sometimes lack of game time is a factor. You can bowl as many overs as you like in the nets, but nothing beats game time.
“The quality of work we put in, we expect the guys to deliver. At the moment, things aren’t happening for them, but the team is winning. They’re all X-factor players and real match-winners — and when the moment comes, they’ll be expected to prove it.”
