India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has rejoined the team after a personal emergency and participated in Wednesday’s training session. He had left the camp prior to the Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh on February 20. Notably, Shubman Gill, the standout batter, was absent from practice. Rishabh Pant has recovered from an illness and trained with the team. India has reached the semifinals of the tournament after defeating Pakistan and will play their final group match against New Zealand on March 2. India, favored to win the title due to their strong spin attack, will play all games in Dubai, raising questions about competitive fairness.
Representational image© AFP
India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, has rejoined the team after addressing a personal emergency back home and participated in the squad’s training session on Wednesday. Morkel had departed from the Indian camp a few days prior to the team’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh on February 20. The former South Africa pacer was observed having an extensive conversation with head coach Gautam Gambhir while the players engaged in their warm-up drills at the ICC Academy here. Shubman Gill, who has been India’s standout performer in the tournament, was notably absent from practice.
Rishabh Pant has made a full recovery from an illness and trained alongside the rest of the squad on Wednesday.
India enjoyed a brief respite after dominating Pakistan in their second group match. They have already secured a spot in the semifinals from Group A, alongside New Zealand.
Both teams are scheduled to meet in their final group match here on March 2.
India, who last lifted the Champions Trophy in 2013, are considered favorites to claim the title, especially given their spin-heavy squad composition and their performance so far in the tournament.
All of India’s matches are taking place in Dubai, where the pitch has been slow and favorable to spinners up to this point.
In light of the tournament’s hybrid model, India is the only team playing at a single venue, a situation that has drawn criticism from figures like former England skipper Michael Atherton, who views it as a distinct advantage for Rohit Sharma and his team.
While Pakistan is the tournament host, India is also set to play the final in Dubai if they qualify.
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