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Morne Morkel setting up Virat Kohli a treat for the purists during India vs South Africa 2015 3rd Test at Nagpur, Day 1

In a pitch that aided slow bowlers Morne Morkel defied the odds and bowled with a lot of heart on the first day.

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Morne Morkel successfully appeal on Day One of the Nagpur Test (Photo courtesy: AFP)
Morne Morkel successfully appeal on Day One of the Nagpur Test (Photo courtesy: AFP)

Conditions and tailor-made pitches have been talk throughout South Africa’s tour of India 2015, and in all possibility it will continue to be so as 12 wickets fell on the Day One of the third Test between the sides. The pitch at Jamtha, Nagpur generally known to assist pacers was expected to aid slow bowlers and remained true to its expectation, but spare a moment for South African giant Morne Morkel who defied the odds and bowled with a lot of heart on the first day. For a change, let’s focus on Test cricket; focus on the battle between bat and bowl, and the battle between minds. LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs South Africa 2015, 3rd Test at Nagpur

Indian skipper Virat Kohli walked out to bat at 69 for 2 after opener Murali Vijay was done by a terrific Morkel delivery, which caught him plumb. India’s hopes of a big total rested on their captain, but Morkel, filling in the role of Proteas’ strike bowler Dale Steyn, had a plan working against him. Full Cricket Updates: India vs South Africa 2015, 3rd Test at Nagpur, Day 1

Let’s rewind to the England tour of 2014. England seamer James Anderson was making it a habit to dismiss Kohli. The English bowlers kept testing him outside the off-stump, in the corridor of uncertainty and eventually got him to poke one to the wicketkeeper or slips. When the ball is moving and it’s pitched around the off-stump, Kohli often plays with an angled bat or goes too hard on it and at the same time, his foot doesn’t move towards the ball. Kohli’s weakness was well exposed by English bowlers but in conditions where the ball isn’t doing enough, the Indian captain has had a happy ride.

Steyn’s absence in Nagpur is a big blow. In 2010, it was his 10-wicket haul that helped South Africa win the Nagpur. With South Africa already 0-1 down in the series, they would have desperately wanted the No. 1 Test bowler to come out all guns blazing, but that wasn’t the case. Even before the start of the game, there wasn’t a lot expected from Morkel who relies on pace, bounce and carry, as the Nagpur wasn’t expected to have much of either. Being around for almost 10 years and being a veteran of 66 Tests, the need for Morkel was to step up.

Morkel seems to have studied the English bowlers well, and hats off to the coaching staff that chalked out the plan to trap Kohli in the corridor of uncertainty. Kohli played 25 balls from Morkel and all balls were either pitched on off-stump, outside off-stump and occasionally on the middle stump. Kohli did get two boundaries but he was constantly tested. Despite not getting enough aid from the wicket, Morkel kept asking questions to Kohli and played around with the batsman’s vulnerability outside off stump with good pace. Eventually he got one to swing away and Kohli edged it to the wicketkeeper.

 

A lot of it is mind game and Morkel had won it.

Prior to that he had uprooted Ajinkya Rahane’s off-stump and after getting Kohli, he unsettled Rohit Sharma with reverse swinging full deliveries. In a pitch that’s tailor-made for spin bowlers, Morkel did enough to have India reeling at 125 for 6. Later an injury forced him out of the ground but he had done enough with his three-wicket burst that broke the backbone of India’s batting. Whether he’ll play any further role in the game is not clear but if he doesn’t it may very well be the end of Proteas hopes.

Virat Kohli’s weakness

Is it a technical glitch or it’s a habit, that’s tough to say. Kohli has a solid technique and maybe patience can help him curb this. Sunil Gavaskar said that he is poking the outside off-stump balls with hard hands and if he could short the stance it can help him get the balance right. Most importantly, why in the first place does he need to play a delivery that’s targeted towards the fifth or sixth stump?

The runs may not be flowing from the Indian skipper’s bat but he continues to find himself in a commanding position. Despite that,  he needs to quickly turn the run draught around quickly or else the side may just come across as one which is heavily reliant on its spin attack, and there will be a heavy price to pay if the conditions slightly begin to alter.

(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer , strategist, entrepreneur,  philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)

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