Bahutule to serve as interim Indian bowling coach for SL tour: Report

Sairaj Bahutule and not Morne Morkel will reportedly accompany the India senior men’s cricket team to Sri Lanka for the six-match limited-overs tour, beginning July 27 (Saturday). According to a Cricbuzz report, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to go ahead with Bahutule due to Morkel's inability to join the Indian team due to personal reasons. 

"The Morkel deal is not final; talks are still ongoing. He may join later," a source told Cricbuzz. 

Morkel, who resides in Sydney, Australia with his family, is believed to have gone back to his home country South Africa to attend to his ill father in Pretoria. The former Proteas speedster, who played alongside newly appointed coach Gautam Gambhir for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), could however join the team in September-October for the home series against Bangladesh. 

One of the two bowling coaches at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, Bahutule, according to Cricbuzz, was preferred over Troy Colley, who is a pace bowling specialist. The 51-year-old represented India in two Tests and eight ODIs in his international career. 

However, it was at the domestic level that the leg-spinner showcased his true potential, picking up 630 wickets and scoring 6176 runs in 188 First-Class games for various teams including Mumbai. 

Other members of Gambhir’s support staff, Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, are believed to have already assumed their roles as assistant coaches. T Dilip, part of the Rahul Dravid-led management staff, will continue to be the team’s fielding coach. 

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