India vs South Africa, 1st Test, Day 4: Morne Morkel, Sanjay Bangar Analyse Kagiso Rabada’s No-Ball Struggles | Cricket News

South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada has been a pale shadow of his fast and furious self in the ongoing first Test against India and will be aiming to reduce leaking runs in the next game of the three-match series. The Proteas pacer has bowled 17 no-balls in the match and his countryman Morne Morkel feels it could be due to a “lack of rhythm” and confidence. Meanwhile, former Team India batting coach Sanjay Bangar feels South Africa’s bowling coach needs to help Rabada in reducing the number of extras. Despite taking five wickets already, the fast bowler has conceded a total of 106 runs in the ongoing match in Centurion. Speaking on Star Sports, Morkel said, “I think it’s lack of bowling. He has been a guy who bowls close to the line. The last thing you need as a bowler during a Test match when you struggle with no-balls is to change your run-up. For him it’s a matter of fighting through this Test, trying to find the rhythm going.”

“It’s a lack of rhythm, a little bit of lack of confidence but I am sure as the Test series goes on, he will come good”, he further added.

Meanwhile, Bangar stated that the role of South Africa’s bowling coach has become “critical” due to Rabada’s struggles. He also felt that the coach should advice Rabada to “start from the bowling crease and run backwards on a couple of occasions”.

“The role of the bowling coach becomes critical because you see your premium bowler struggle. It’s not a bad idea to go back to the basics again and by basics, I mean what the bowling coach can do to help a particular bowler. No doubt, how many matches or what the pedigree the bowler is, if he is doing something wrong it can start in a different fashion,” he said.

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“The bowling coach may well advise Kagiso Rabada to start from the bowling crease and run backwards on a couple occasions. Again, make sure to measure the run-up on three-four occasions and find an average of that. And take that average with a measuring tape and mark the run-up again. Because it can very well boil down to something as simple a thing as it is but it can do the trick.”

During India’s second innings, Rabada conceded six no-balls but also bagged the wickets of Shardul Thakur (10), Ravichandran Ashwin (14), Rishabh Pant (34) and Mohammed Shami (1). Meanwhile during India’s first innings, he bowled 11 no-balls and registered the dismissals of KL Rahul (123), Ashwin (4) and Thakur (4).