Morkel insists on consistency as team gears up for first Test against England

Emphasising the importance of remaining consistent in English conditions, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has expressed satisfaction with the intensity displayed by the players during the training camp.

“I think consistency is crucial in England, and there is consistency when we practice, there’s consistency off the field, finding your process, what’s going to work for you as an individual. We’ve got a great variation, variety in our attack, guys with different skill sets, so they can do that and still execute the basics well,” Morkel said in a video shared by BCCI on social media.

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Since arriving in England on June 7, the Indian team has engaged in intense training sessions to gear up for the gruelling five-Test series against the hosts, beginning June 20. With stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin having stepped away from the longest format, the Shubman Gill-led squad enters a pivotal transition phase, one that offers several fresh faces the opportunity to stake a claim and fill the void left by the celebrated trio.

Morkel, the former South Africa quick, felt that the team, especially the batters, got a test of the English conditions with the pitches assisting the seamers, which, he believed, would be helpful as the team prepares for the bigger challenges ahead.

“In the two-day practice so far, the conditions suited the fast bowlers. It was testing for the batters, which also in a way helps them to prepare for what’s to come. I don’t think the wicket is going to be as spicy as the ones we experienced here,” Morkle said.

“There’s been a lot of good banter between bat and ball, but I think it’s only because the wickets are a lit bit spicy. As soon as the wickets go flat, the bowlers tend to back off. I am gonna tell them not to only talk when the wickets are nipping around, but when it’s flat, that’s where we are gonna need the character,” he added.

The five-Test series will kick off the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both teams. India last featured in a Test match during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January, and since then, players have been engaged in white-ball competitions, including the Champions Trophy and the IPL.

The series holds greater significance for India, as the visitors are aiming to win a Test series in England for the first time since 2007.

“All in all, very happy with the start so far. I was a little bit nervous in terms of the lack of red-ball [cricket] we’ve played. But seeing how the guys are moving around and training over the last three days, it’s a pleasing sight,” Morkel said.

“There’s some quality energy in this group, and that’s what you need. You need to go into a Test series confident, you need to have that team spirit in the group, and I think so far they have done a great job,” he added.