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India’s strategic delay in declaring their second innings on Day 4 of the Edgbaston Test against England has stirred up debate among fans and pundits, but former South African fast bowler and current bowling coach of India Morne Morkel has thrown his weight behind the decision. Addressing the media after play on Saturday, Morkel praised India’s game sense and insisted that there was no fear of England’s aggressive “Bazball” approach.
India piles on runs and sets a daunting target for England
On the back of Shubman Gill’s masterclass knock of 161 and handy contributions from Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant, India declared their second innings at a mammoth 427. With a towering lead, they eventually set England an improbable target of 608 runs — the highest successful chase in Test history being 418.
Though India declared with just 16 overs left on Day 4, they made an immediate impact, snaring three English wickets and reducing the hosts to 72/3 by stumps. Still, the timing of the declaration prompted questions, as many believed it came too late to force a win.
Morne Morkel denies fear of Bazball in India’s late-declaration approach
Morkel dismissed any suggestion that the visitors were concerned about England’s ultra-attacking batting philosophy. He added that the pitch was still playing well and there was merit in India taking some extra time to stretch the lead beyond doubt.
Also WATCH: ENG vs IND – Akash Deep cleans up Joe Root with a jaffa on Day 4 of Edgbaston Test
“Worried? No, not really. I think if a team scores 500+ on the final day, then they deserve to win.It was just about getting a little bit more time. Ideally, give them an hour, a little more than an hour tonight, with Day 5 coming up,” said Morkel in the post-day presser.
Morkel emphasized the importance of the first hour on Day 5, noting that the pitch still offers assistance to bowlers who maintain tight lines and lengths. He pointed out that if the Indian bowlers stick to the right areas with discipline and precision, they can extract enough from the surface to trouble England’s batters and push for a win.
“Tomorrow morning, that first hour is going to be crucial. We saw earlier that if you hit the right areas, there is something in it. We just need to be accurate and disciplined,” added Morkel.
