Wait, watch, learn: Morkel backs Sooryavanshi's growth despite limited game time

Gautam Gambhir has made it clear that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his next India opportunity. On the eve of the first T20I against West Indies, bowling coach Morne Morkel did not contradict his head coach. Instead, he explained why the wait need not mean a halt in the 15-year-old's development.

Morkel believes simply being around the India dressing room, training alongside established players and observing how they prepare for an innings can be invaluable for Sooryavanshi, even if he does not make the XI in Lucknow on Tuesday.

"We all know the talent of Vaibhav. I think the more time he spends in this environment, with quality players, the more time he trains at this standard, it will only be great for his cricket," Morkel said on Monday.

The teenager returns from the Asian Games having strengthened his case. He opened for India in Nagoya, scoring 38 off 21 balls against Sri Lanka in the semi-final and 15 off nine in the gold-medal match against Pakistan. But the performances have not altered Gambhir's position that India should not hastily break up the opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.

Gambhir had said earlier that Vaibhav would have to wait because India could not simply ignore a combination that had delivered consistently over a long period. He also stressed that selection could not be driven by social-media noise, but by the combination the coach and captain believe can win the match.

Before the Asian Games, Vaibhav warmed the benches without getting an opportunity across three matches in a T20I series against Afghanistan in New Delhi.

Morkel's view is that there is plenty for Vaibhav to take from the experience even when he is not batting.

"If he's not getting that game time, he's still on a bus, in the dugout, in the hotel with guys with a lot of experience," he said.

"Just actually watching how the guys go through their processes and how they set up innings will be key for him."

Morkel said he has even challenged the youngster to actively observe his senior teammates, asking him what he has learnt from watching them train and bat.

"I always ask him on the bus, 'what's the one thing you've learned today? Tell me, what did you think about that guy's batting?' And that makes him think," Morkel said.WHY DIFFERENT COMBINATION IN ASIAN GAMES?

Morkel was equally clear that the Asian Games combination should not be read as a template for the West Indies series. The XI there was decided by the management in charge of that campaign, while the current setup will make its own call based on conditions and the needs of the match.

"That's the combination they felt for them at the Asian Games," Morkel said. "We'll work out tonight here what is the best combination for us going into the series."

The decision will ultimately rest with Gambhir, captain and the selection team, with the conditions at India's home venues also expected to influence the combinations. Morkel said the immediate priority was to assess the players returning from the Asian Games before finalising the XI.

"We'll all assess how everybody's feeling after jet lag, after travelling, and then from there, make a plan," he said.

For now, then, the Vaibhav question remains less about whether India see his talent and more about when they believe the moment is right. Gambhir has asked him to wait. Morkel's message is slightly different: wait, watch, learn and make the environment count.

And with Abhishek, Samson and Vaibhav all competing for two places at the top, the opening call in Lucknow will offer the first indication of how India intend to manage that competition on home soil.- Ends