Dubai, Sep 27: India bowling coach Morne Morkel has downplayed injury concerns over Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Sharma ahead of Sunday’s high-voltage Asia Cup final against Pakistan, assuring that both players are being closely monitored after suffering cramps in the clash against Sri Lanka.

Hardik walked off the field holding his left hamstring after his opening over, in which he dismissed Kusal Mendis for a golden duck. He did not return for the rest of the innings. “Hardik had cramps, he will be assessed tonight and tomorrow morning, we'll then take a call on that,” Morkel clarified at the post-match press conference, echoing India captain Suryakumar Yadav’s comments earlier in the evening.

Abhishek too endured a scare when he clutched his right thigh while running in the ninth over. He left the field the next over and spent the remainder of the innings receiving ice treatment and pickle juice to ease cramps. Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, and even Tilak Varma stepped in as substitute fielders at different points.

With India’s game stretching into a tense Super Over finish, the turnaround before the final is even shorter. Morkel stressed that recovery would be the sole focus on Saturday. “The key for the boys is to rest. They're in an ice bath already. The recovery started straight after the match. The best way to recover is sleep and stay off your feet. Hopefully they can get a good night's sleep,” he said.

“There will be individual pool sessions for the guys organised. Then some massages before they get mentally ready for the big battle on Sunday. It's a quick turnaround, and playing smart is going to be the key. There will certainly be no training.”

The bowling coach also addressed the scrutiny around young pacers Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, who conceded 100 runs between them in eight overs against Sri Lanka before Arshdeep held his nerve in the Super Over. “In our environment we want to move away from an excuse culture,” Morkel said. “The effort they put in at training, we expect them to go out there and deliver. Yes, sometimes lack of game time is a factor. You can bowl as many overs as you like in the nets, but nothing beats game time.”

He added that both remain central to India’s plans. “The quality of work we put in, we expect the guys to deliver. At the moment, things aren't happening for them but the team is winning, they're all X-factor players and real match winners.”

(IANS)

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