Beckenham (United Kingdom), June 11 (IANS) India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said Nitish Kumar Reddy can bowl magical balls, adding that the seam-bowling all-rounder is keen to work on his bowling consistency and bowl more overs in the upcoming Test series against England, starting on June 20 in Leeds.

Reddy made his Test debut on the tour of Australia last year and scored a Test hundred at the MCG in last year’s Boxing Day Test. As of now, he is fighting for a seam bowling all-rounder’s slot in the playing eleven alongside Shardul Thakur. In two red-ball games against England Lions, Reddy bowled 26.5 overs, though he didn’t outrightly nail the all-rounder’s slot.

“For sure, the more bowling options we can have, that’s great. He’s skilful. He’s a guy who can bowl that magical ball, so for him it’s about creating that consistency, it’s something we want to work on, and it’s important for his game as well. I’ve had conversations where I’ve challenged him to bowl a bit more.”

“I want to see the ball more in his hands. We all know what he can do with the bat. For a team, if we can have the bowling options, especially in these conditions, I think he’ll be exciting and can complement this bowling attack,” said Morkel to reporters on the sidelines of India’s training session on Wednesday.

Asked what would be the balance of India’s bowling combination, Morkel said, “In terms of the balance, we’ve been very happy with that. But for us as a bowling unit, finding that gear that we’re going to need in Test matches is going to be important.”

“We’ve spoken a lot about how we’re going to go about playing and match-up with England. But I think so far we’re on the right way in terms of doing the preparation. For us, like you say, when it comes to match day, with the ball, it’s about execution.”

Morkel also said he has been blown away by Jasprit Bumrah’s rhythm and intensity in the practice sessions so far, but stated that the management would be smart in managing him through the summer. Before leaving for England, head coach Gautam Gambhir said Bumrah wouldn’t play all five Test matches due to workload management.

“He knows how to get himself ready; he knows how to prepare. I was blown away to see the energy on the ball over the last three days. So, that’s just very exciting to see. I’m happy his body is in good shape at the moment.

“We’ll manage him with that. We’ll be smart with him because he’s obviously key for us, but in terms of the first three net sessions, a lot to be excited watching him bowl with the Dukes ball,” he added.

According to Morkel, India’s bowlers have to start strongly to overcome England’s aggressive batting lineup, which is known to capitalise on any errors. “It’s one thing judging a net session, but for our guys to stand in the field, getting used to doing 90 overs in the field, that’s going to take some time.”

“We need to realise that, and we need to be patient with that. We need to find a way to get up to speed as quickly as possible because that’s going to be a real test. England, with the brand of cricket they play, we need to be on top of our game. We can’t afford to find our feet in this series.”

“That’s one of the things that has impressed me so much in the two days, the few sessions we’ve had. The guys have stepped up by themselves, they’ve taken ownership and responsibility, and they’ve realised it’s going to be a tough tour. That’s the pleasing thing for us as coaches, to see guys taking that leadership and ownership at practice.”

–IANS

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