Rohit Sharma playing a shot during the second ODI match against England. (ANI photo)

New Delhi: India’s bowling coach morne morkel has thrown its weight behind Rohit Sharma Amid growing scrutiny over the veteran opener’s form, he insisted there were “no worries” and expressed confidence that the former skipper would soon regain his rhythm in English conditions.Speaking ahead of the series-deciding third ODI against England at Lord’s on Sunday, Morkel dismissed concerns over Rohit’s scores of 11 and 26 in the first two matches, and said the challenging conditions for the opening batsmen have made life difficult throughout the series.

Morkel supported Rohit’s experience and composure

With speculation rife over Rohit’s ODI future ahead of the 2027 World Cup, Morkel highlighted the opener’s experience and the calming effect he has brought to India’s batting unit.Morkel said, “Playing in front with the new ball is a difficult task. We have seen it throughout the series. The ball is rotating. So it is not easy to bat in front. There is no doubt that Rohit will work on it.”“He has done this before. He is experienced and he brings calmness to the batting line-up. So, without a doubt, there are no worries or concerns with the way he is going about things,” he said.His comments come after Rohit’s modest return in the opening two ODIs, reigniting the debate over whether India should start planning ahead of the experienced opener with just a year left before the next 50-over World Cup.

Batting unit asked to adapt quickly at Lord’s

Defending Rohit, Morkel admitted that India’s batting overall needed to improve after failing to take advantage of a strong platform in the second ODI.Virat Kohli And Shreyas Iyer The foundation was laid, but the middle order could not accelerate as India finished at less than 233 runs, allowing England to level the series with a four-wicket win.Morkel advised India’s batsmen to respect the conditions at Lord’s before trying to dominate.“I think for them it’s just to give them a summary of the conditions. We’ve seen recently at Lord’s that it can be a difficult surface. So maybe give yourself an extra five to 10 balls to get used to the speed of the surface,” he said.He said India’s experienced top and middle order know how to build partnerships and stressed that a consistent partnership with both bat and ball will be crucial in the decider.

Middle overs wickets remain India’s biggest bowling concern

Despite praising the effort of the fast bowlers in the last game, Morkel admitted that India still needed to be more effective in breaking partnerships during the middle overs.He said the pace attack had executed the plans well, particularly with Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar using the extra bounce effectively, but acknowledged that England’s Joe RootRemaining unbeaten on 99 runs, he showed the importance of not giving an easy path to the opposition during the innings.Morkel said, “Getting wickets in the middle stages is important. We will continue to work on ways to achieve those successes.” He also cautioned against putting too much pressure on the bowlers with technical advice before important games.