Prasidh has ability to bowl magic balls, he needs to be backed in the long run: Morkel

London, Aug 3 (PTI) Prasidh Krishna has the ability to bowl “magic balls” and the pacer needs to be given an extended run to serve India for a long time, said bowling coach Morne Morkel here on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters after rain forced the series decider to day five with England needing 35 runs and four wickets in hand, Morkel praised Prasidh and Mohammed Siraj for keeping India in the game despite hundreds from Joe Root and Harry Brook on day four.

“In the same breath as Siraj, Prasidh has also in this tour found a bit of confidence. If you look at the first Test match to today, his consistency, his line and lengths, he improved a lot and he's a guy that I believe can be a very good Test bowler for India,” said Morkel.

“He's just a guy that needs a bit of time and he needs to be backed with a bit of confidence and every spell, he's a guy that can create that magic ball for you with an extra bounce and pace,” said the former South Africa fast bowler.

Prasidh struck twice in the final session to keep India alive in the game while Siraj once again put his tired body on the line and bowled an extended eight-over spell in the morning before building pressure alongside Prasidh in the last half hour of play.

Jasprit Bumrah was rested from the Oval Test due to workload management but Siraj has played all five games. He seems to raise his game in Bumrah’s absence.

“When Booms is not there you need to set the tone as a new ball bowler or the first change bowler or a guy who's played, you know, more than 30, 40 Tests, so I think he just enjoys that opportunity when it's given to him and he said it yesterday, I think in an interview, he just loves playing for India and putting the shirt on and performing.” Morkel said the team management had a “conversation” with Siraj to find his mindset ahead of the fifth Test. “Before the start of the Test, there was conversation with him just to check in how he was feeling mentally and how he was feeling physically because of the amount of overs but he was the first guy to say, ‘listen, I want to play this Test match, I want to win it for the team, so not just the bowling front but it's the attitude for me that is great “You've got a guy with an attitude like that and he's willing to run all day, I'm not surprised, that's why he's got the numbers,” said Morkel.

On where the game stands, he added: “The series so far, there have been moments like that where it's sort of up and down and we finally managed to break the partnership which was great and was important for us and it's almost like it's always, you feel for the new batter.

“It's quite tough to start, no matter what. It was looking quite flat out there and we managed to get a bit of something on the ball, which is great for the series so far and unfortunately, yeah, the rain came in and we had to come back tomorrow,” he signed off.

Injured Woakes may bat on day 5 ======================== After scoring his 39th Test hundred, Joe Root said it was fitting that the series was going into day five just like the previous four games on this tour.

“It was always going to happen like this wasn't it? I mean, look at the first four games. It's just been that kind of series. It's been amazing to play in and quite fitting that we're going to get that kind of finish tomorrow,” said Root, hoping the heavy roller helps his team on Monday.

Talking about the timing of stumps on day four, he said: “There's pros and cons of both, really. Their guys had bowled a lot, there were overs in their legs. You get back out there, get a couple of boundaries away and all of a sudden the game looks very different again.

“But then again, you come back tomorrow, you get another roller, you can rest up and it's a completely new opportunity. I think for both teams there's pros and cons.” Will Woakes, who was ruled out of the game due to a shoulder injury on day one, come out to bat if needed? “You probably saw him in his whites in the dressing room, so, you know, he's all in like the rest of us. It's been that kind of series where guys (like Rishabh Pant) have had to put bodies on the line and hopefully it doesn't get to that. He had some throw-downs in here at one point and he's ready if needed,” added Root.

Root, who has negated some of the best bowlers of this era, heaped praise on Siraj.

“He's a character. He’s a warrior, a real warrior. He's someone that you want in your team. He gives everything for India and it's credit to him for that the way he approaches cricket. He's got this fake anger about him sometimes, which I can see straight through. You can tell that he's actually a really nice lad,” he said.

The former England skipper also lauded Prasidh Krishna with whom he had a run-in in the first innings of this Test.

“Prasidh is a proven performer, he is a brilliant player. You don't play for India as a seamer without having a huge amount of talent and clearly he's gonna do great things in the game.

“It wasn't anything between the two of us that sort of brought that on, that was more frustration on my part for not getting us over the line,” he added. PTI BS UNG