Morkel sees West Indies ODIs as India's bowling audition for World Cup

India's three-match ODI series against the West Indies will serve as an important audition for the bowlers looking to secure a place in the team's plans for the 2027 World Cup, bowling coach Morne Morkel said on Friday.

With the series beginning in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, Morkel stressed the need to give second-line bowlers such as Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar enough opportunities to prove themselves in different roles. He believes exposure to match situations now will be crucial as India build their bowling group for the World Cup.

"I think if you look at the last year, we've been trying to give guys some game time and see in different roles how they react. It will be the same now leading into the series and looking at New Zealand," Morkel said ahead of India's training session.

"To give guys opportunity with ball in hand... I think it's very important for these guys (Prasidh, Brar) to get the game time, to get a feel of the standard that we're looking to play. So yeah, I think in this series there will definitely be opportunities given to guys to see what they can do in their different roles," he added.

Morkel also wants India's bowlers to embrace difficult situations rather than simply focus on holding on to their places in the team. He said the ability to take responsibility when the pressure is on will be an important part of the team's development.

"We've challenged the bowlers when conditions are tough or there's certain partnerships that are developing. I want to see guys asking for the ball and wanting to create those opportunities and not be sort of protecting their own space," the former South Africa pacer said.

The bowling coach wants to see how India's players respond when the team is under pressure, believing such situations can help them develop the temperament required at the World Cup.

"I think that will be a great goal for us if we can develop that attitude where guys want tough situations. You know, if we are maybe 30 for 4, who's going to get that partnership and get us a hundred?

"So if we can throw ourselves into certain situations and guys can figure out ways to play that situation there will be growth and that will help us down the line," he added.WORKING WITH MEDICAL TEAM

Morkel also said the team management was working closely with the medical staff at the BCCI Centre of Excellence to chart individual return-to-play plans for injured players, including Harshit Rana.

"We have got Harshit and all those guys who are still on the sidelines. We're excited to get them back and get them playing and get them fit again. So, that's part of our jobs to sit with the medical staff and map that out.

"But there's definitely a plan for every individual. We'll keep on monitoring that and coming up with the best way forward to give the selectors a group to pick from," he said.

The former South Africa pacer admitted it was frustrating to see frontline bowlers such as Rana and Varun Chakravarthy repeatedly miss matches because of injuries. However, he believes India's depth gives the team an opportunity to assess other options.

"Yeah, I mean, it is (frustrating). Obviously, you want to have your strongest and condition-wise the best 11 on the field. But certainly it's part of the game that, you know, the guys getting injured at times where we didn't ideally want them to fall injured.

"But, yeah, luckily, we've got a fantastic back-up in the wings. It's a great opportunity, again, for guys to, you know, to go and play a game for India, to make a name for themselves and to compete.

"But, you know, really, hopefully, we can get all the injuries now out of the way. And later down the year, we'll be fine and we can take it on from there," he added.

For Morkel, the West Indies series is not just another bilateral assignment. It is the beginning of India's preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, and he does not want the team to leave the process of building its bowling group until the final stages.

"For me, at the end of the day whoever walks onto the field now, up to the World Cup, starting on Sunday, needs to know that there is a certain standard we need to achieve. I want these players to put themselves under as much pressure," Morkel said.

"I think the World Cup is the biggest stage. You can't decide a month or a week before the tournament now that we're going to step things up. I think it starts now with this series against the West Indies," he added.- Ends