Team India is in no hurry to hand Vaibhav Sooryavanshi his international debut. Even as the whole world waits with bated breath to witness how he fares on the big stage, the think-tank continues to back the current opening combination.
Sanju Samson’s inconsistency is a major headache after the series defeat to Ireland. The opener has scores of 5, 0 and 1 across the three matches so far.
The decision has naturally kept the spotlight on the 15-year-old, but bowling coach Morne Morkel said on Friday that past records matter and the team management
has faith in Samson and Abhishek Sharma.
“I think we just need to respect the fact that we’ve got the number one batter, or we had our number one batter in T20 cricket, Abhishek Sharma. You know, Sanju was the player of the World Cup,” Morkel said on the eve of the second T20I against England in Manchester.
The opening tie was abandoned because of rain after India posted 189/7.
“He (Samson) had a great IPL. So, I think as a coaching staff, it’s only fair to show faith and back your players. Yes, there’s a young man knocking on the door and it’s exciting. But I reckon for not just those two players at the top, but for the rest of the group, it’s a good sign that we show that we back you guys,” he added.
Morkel stressed that the think-tank does not believe in bringing about changes just for the sake of it.
“...I think we just need to also respect the fact that we’ve got the number one batter in T20 cricket, Abhishek
Sharma. Sanju was the Player of the World Cup, he had a great IPL. So I think as a coaching staff, it’s only fair
to show faith and back your players.
“Yes, there’s a young man knocking on the door and it’s exciting, but I reckon for not just those two players at the top, but for the rest of the group, it’s a good sign that we show that we back you guys. It’s about putting performances on the board, that is key. But also, if you look at it, we also don’t want to think too much and bat other players out of positions.
“So I reckon it’s not a straightforward decision, ‘okay, let’s play (him)’. It’s a matter of backing some of the guys who’ve won World Cups, who’ve done really well for you in tough situations.”