Albie Morkel laments 'brutal' Indian conditions after Proteas bowlers toil against India
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026
Tall timber Marco Jansen will be crucial for the Proteas' Powerplay strategy as they look to bounce back from a tough warm-up against India. Photo: AFP
Image: AFP
Following the carnage that the Proteas bowlers were subjected to during Wednesday night’s warm-up match against India, consultant Albie Morkel highlighted the flatness and batter-friendly nature of the surfaces in India as a contributing factor.
When a team concedes 83 runs in the first powerplay, it is highly unlikely that they will be able to bring the scoring rate down. That is precisely what South Africa experienced at the DY Patil Stadium on Wednesday, as Ishan Kishan (53 off 20), Tilak Varma (45 off 19) and Hardik Pandya (30 off 10) put them to the sword to get India to a mammoth 240/5.
Yes, it was a warm-up match, and the result carries very little weight; however, South Africa’s bowling performance was a massive concern.
With India posting a massive 240/5, Albie Morkel admits the bowlers have their work cut out for them on flat Indian decks. Here, captain Aiden Markram reacts after being hit in the stomach by a fast delivery. Photo: AFP
Image: AFP
Apart from Lungi Ngidi, whose economy rate was just over seven runs per over, all the other bowlers leaked runs, conceding at least nine runs per over.
The Proteas consultant lauded Ngidi for his performance, citing that the 29-year-old has a skill set that will come in handy for the team in Indian conditions.
“I think we saw tonight, and the series that South Africa played in India a couple of weeks ago and New Zealand now, it's a brutal environment as a bowler to come out and do your thing,” Morkel said after the match.
“There's not a lot of bounce in the wickets. It's really too low bounce and it's skiddy with a lot of dew in the evening. So, as a bowler, you've got your work cut out for you.
"We tried a few things tonight, which we were happy about, but I think it's back to the drawing board for us to get feedback from the bowlers as well. I think that's important.
“After his first over, (Ngidi) came back beautifully and that's probably going to be his role in the team. He’s one of the seamers that possesses a really good slower ball and we'll be looking to use that a lot more through the tournament.”
South Africa are scheduled to play their first match of the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup on Monday in Ahmedabad.