'Ball will go soft’: Bumrah’s absence adds challenge; Morkel warns pacers

Galle: From left, India's Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi and Gurnoor Brar during a practice session ahead of the first test cricket match between India and Sri Lanka, in Galle. (PTI Photo)

India bowling coach Morne Morkel has highlighted the challenging conditions awaiting the team in Sri Lanka, warning that the combination of heat and humidity could cause the Kookaburra ball to lose its hardness earlier than the Indian seamers are accustomed to.

India will begin the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on August 15, with their pace attack facing an additional challenge after Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the series with a knee injury.With Bumrah unavailable, Mohammed Siraj is now the most experienced seamer in the squad. Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar and newly called-up Auqib Nabi are the other pace options available to India.

Morkel urges pacers to adapt quickly

Morkel believes India's seamers will need to make the most of the new ball before adjusting their approach once it starts losing its hardness.“Our skill is there, and the planning will be there, but the biggest challenge coming to Sri Lanka is the heat, the humidity, and the Kookaburra ball going soft a little earlier. It will go soft after 25 or 30 overs, so we have to expect that. In these conditions, it’s all about your mindset. If you’re a fast bowler, if you’re going to bowl the shortest spells, the energy you put into the ball and putting it into good areas, you’ll always have opportunity,” Morkel said in pre-match press conference.

The former South Africa pacer also stressed the importance of maintaining intensity and building pressure as the Test progresses.“As the Test match will go on, hopefully there will be a little bit of uneven bounce. It’s about how we can stack up overs together with intensity and create that pressure because we haven’t played a lot of red-ball cricket in the last couple of months; going back into that is going to be a challenge as well,” he said.

India assess bowling options in warm-up

India used the three-day warm-up against the Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo to give their bowling options valuable game time ahead of the Test series.Ravindra Jadeja was among the most effective bowlers, claiming three wickets from 22 overs, while Gurnoor Brar also impressed with three wickets from 20 overs. Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar picked up two wickets each, with the spinners finding considerable assistance during the practice game.

Mohammed Siraj bowled 21 overs and took one wicket, while Prasidh Krishna also claimed a wicket from 16 overs. Saransh Jain completed 15 overs without a wicket, while Auqib Nabi bowled five overs as he got a brief opportunity to assess the conditions.