Morne Morkel Confident Ahead of Day 5 as India Sets High Target Against England
Morkel's Insights on England's Chase
Morne Morkel, the bowling coach for India's men's Test team, expressed that the squad is not overly worried about England's pursuit of a substantial target after they delayed their declaration during the second innings at Edgbaston. Morkel mentioned that the strategy was to allow England more than an hour of batting time on the fifth day.
By Tea on Day 4, India had established a lead of 484 runs, with Shubman Gill not out at 100 and Ravindra Jadeja contributing 25 runs. Instead of declaring right after Tea, the team opted to bat for an additional hour, surpassing the 600-run mark before declaring at 607 runs ahead during the last Drinks break. At that point, Jadeja and Washington Sundar were at the crease, while tailender Akash Deep was ready to bat.
During a press conference after the day's play, Morkel stated:
“Worried? No, not really. I think if a team scores 500+ on the final day, then they deserve to win. So, I think it was just a little bit more time. Ideally, give an hour, a little bit more than an hour at them tonight, with Day 5 around the corner.”
This extra hour of batting put India in a favorable position. With a daunting target set, Akash Deep took two wickets, and Mohammed Siraj added another, leaving England at 72/3 at Stumps. England now needs to chase down 536 runs with only seven wickets left.
England's assistant coach, Marcus Trescothick, mentioned that the team is not naive and would accept a draw if necessary. However, Morkel reminded everyone of Harry Brook's earlier comments about chasing any total India sets, which could be a risky move.
Morkel commented:
“Harry Brook said yesterday that they would go for the chase; it is going to be an exciting day of cricket. England have had success playing that style of cricket. If they are happy to take it on (so be it).”
Challenge accepted, #HarryBrook! 🔥#TeamIndia’s bowling coach #MorneMorkel weighs in on England’s fearless approach, and why Day 5 at Edgbaston is set up for a thrilling finish! 💥#ENGvIND 👉 2nd Test, Day 5 | SUN, 6th JULY, 2:30 PM | Streaming on JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/eyw4SfqkqM
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 6, 2025
The highest successful chase at Edgbaston was England's 378 against India in 2022, significantly lower than the current target. Morkel also praised Mohammed Siraj, noting that while he took six wickets in the previous innings, his overall contribution to the team goes beyond mere statistics.