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India bowling coach Morne Morkel feels that the pitches in UAE will be far different than what they were during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy which came to a conclusion earlier this year in March. This may see the Men in Blue not use all the three spinners that they have at their disposal during their matches in the tournament. However, Morkel also stated that the final decision on this matter is yet to be taken.
The three spinners that India have chosen for the continental tournament are Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel. However, according to Morkel, they might not be using all of them for their first match as the pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium is far more greener than what it was during the Champions Trophy.
“Again, we need to go and look at the wicket. I think when the Champions Trophy was played at that time, there was a lot of cricket on the surfaces here and they looked a little bit tired," Morkel told reporters.
“So again, tonight we will have a first look at the surface and I believe there is quite a bit of grass covering on the square. So we will have a good idea going into the first game in terms of what is sort of a better way to go, but in terms of planning at the moment, we are covering all bases and then we will make a decision on match day," he added.
Morkel's remark on UAE clash
The India coach also shared his views on the side's tournament opener against hosts UAE which is set to be played on Sepotember 10. Morkel remarked that the Men in Blue definitely cannot afford to take any team lightly in the competition and added that they are 'excited' for the challenge ahead.
'They have come a long way with their cricket and have been playing a nie brand of cricket as of late. We are excited for the challenge and definitely won't be taking them lightly. But for us, the focus is on what we can control - our intensity, our execution. Yes, we will analyze their strengths and weaknesses, but at the end of the day, it is about the brand of cricket we want to play, " Morkel stated.
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Meanwhile, India will commence their Asia Cup campaign with the clash against UAE on September 10 before locking horns against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14. Their group stage will come to a conclusion with the match against Oman on September 19.
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