"Taken most wickets in powerplay, but.." Morne Morkel reveals reason behind benching Arshdeep Singh in T20Is

Arshdeep Singh bagged Player of the Match award in the third T20I against Australia.

After losing the second T20I badly, India bounced back in the third game in Hobart and became the first team to beat Australia in a T20I at the venue. They won the game by five wickets, chasing 187 runs.

India’s leading T20I wicket-taker, Arshdeep Singh, ended up winning Player of the Match award. The left-arm pacer made his return to the playing XI after missing out on the first two games and made an impact right away.

He dismissed Travis Head in his first over and followed it up with a wicket of Josh Inglis in his second over. Later, he came out in the death and dismissed Marcus Stoinis, who was looking dangerous after scoring a fifty.

Arshdeep finished with bowling figures of 3/35. A lot of questions were raised when India decided to keep him on the bench for the first two games, when these Australian conditions are ideal for his bowling style. Ahead of the fourth T20I, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has revealed India’s plan for Arshdeep Singh and his place in the playing XI.

Morne Morkel highlights why India keep dropping Arshdeep Singh from the playing XI

The fourth T20I is all set to be played on Thursday, 6th November at the Cararra Oval in Queensland. India won the last game and might look to go with the winning combination. Morkel admitted the experience and skillset Arshdeep brings to the team, and dropping him is a very tough decision for the management.

However, Morkel also said that they look at the game’s situation and try to go with the best possible combination, which can be hard for players at times.

The bowling coach said, “It is not easy. There will always be disappointment in terms of players and selection, but that is something that, at times, is uncontrollable for a player. With limited games leading up to the T20 World Cup, it is crucial for us to see how players react in certain situations under pressure.”

Arshdeep Singh has so far taken 104 wickets in just 66 T20Is at an economy rate of 8.38 for India. On the other hand, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is still recovering from injury, and Morkel also provided a much-needed update on his availability. The bowling coach said that the all-rounder has done his drills and has looked good, but the final decision on his availability will be taken ahead of the game.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.