SportsPosted at: Nov 15 2025 10:27PM


India took pitch out of equation: Morkel

Kolkata, Nov 15 (UNI) India bowling coach Morne Morkel acknowledged that the team's pre-match strategy may not have aligned with the rapidly changing surface at the Eden Gardens, stating that the think-tank had deliberately taken conditions out of their planning before the opening day’s play against South Africa.
In what emerged as one of his most revealing remarks, Morkel said the team had approached the Test believing the wicket would hold firm for longer than it eventually did. “The conversation was that it’s a good wicket and hard work. We planned more on how to attack South Africa and took conditions out of the equation,” he said, suggesting that India’s primary emphasis was on tactical aggression rather than adapting to a surface that deteriorated earlier than anticipated.
Morkel reiterated that the rapid wear of the pitch was not something the side foresaw. He said the players had expected turn and uneven bounce to develop deeper into the game, not in the early hours of play. The misreading of the surface, coupled with a shortfall in first-innings runs, has now shaped much of the discussion around India’s position in the Test.
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