TimesofIndia.com in Dharamsala: India’s first ODI assignment after the T20 World Cup also marks the start of a long trip to South Africa, where next year’s conditions are likely to place a premium on pace, bounce and seamers capable of hitting the deck hard.with the Jaspreet Bumrah With Harshit Rana unavailable and still recovering, the Afghanistan series could give India an early look at some pace bowling options to join them in that flight. Bowling coach Morne Morkel indicated that boosting India’s pace reserves ahead of the World Cup was very much part of the thinking behind opportunities coming their way for youngsters like Prince Yadav and Gurnor Brar.“That’s certainly part of our thinking and part of our vision – to give ourselves options for the World Cup in South Africa,” Morkel said on the sidelines of the first ODI in Dharamsala.“It’s good for Indian cricket that we put guys under pressure against good opposition and see what they can do.“Fortunately we have two guys in our squad now, Prince and Gurnor. I am sure Gautham (Gambahir) will give these guys a chance and see how they fare in the Indian shirt.“Playing international cricket with that Indian badge is different.”Morkel was encouraged by the pairing he has seen since joining the team.“My first impressions, it’s almost as if I feel they’ve been part of the squad for five years. I haven’t seen any nervousness on their faces, although I can imagine coming into this squad they’ll be quite nervous.“I think the way they’ve gone about training, the energy they’ve trained with, it’s been great and good to watch.“In terms of their skills, I can also see that they put a lot of work into it. They were on the money, right.”While the immediate focus is on Afghanistan, Morkel made it clear that the administration has its sights set on a larger goal.“For me, it’s just learning from South Africa, learning from New Zealand and looking to improve our white-ball game, especially our 50-over game,” he said.“That’s the goal now – looking for small improvements and making sure we’re on time when we come to the World Cup next year.”
