T20 World Cup 2026: South Africa concerned over Indian pitches after warm-up loss in Navi Mumbai

T20 World Cup 2026: South Africa concerned over Indian pitches after warm-up loss in Navi Mumbai (Source: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

South Africa’s bowling unit endured a bruising outing in their warm-up clash against India on Wednesday night, prompting consultant Albie Morkel to underline the challenges posed by flat, batter-friendly surfaces across the country.

Once a side leaks 83 runs inside the powerplay, damage control becomes nearly impossible. That reality hit the Proteas hard at the DY Patil Stadium, where India’s top and middle order went on a rampage. Ishan Kishan’s 53 off 20 balls set the tone before Tilak Varma (45 off 19) and Hardik Pandya (30 off 10) piled on the pressure to power India to a daunting 240 for five.

While the fixture carried the label of a warm-up game and held no direct consequence, the manner in which South Africa’s bowlers were dismantled raised serious concerns ahead of the tournament. With the exception of Lungi Ngidi, who conceded just over seven runs per over, every other bowler went for at least nine an over, offering little resistance once the onslaught began.

Morkel acknowledged the difficulty bowlers face in Indian conditions, stressing that the surfaces and evening dew leave very little margin for error. He went on to explain the specific challenges posed by the pitches and conditions under lights.

“I think we saw tonight, and the series that – played in India a couple of weeks ago and New Zealand now, it’s a brutal environment as a bowler to come out and do your thing. There’s not a lot of bounce in the wickets. It’s really too low bounce and it’s skiddy with a lot of dew in the evening. So, as a bowler, you’ve got your work cut out for you,” Morkel said after the match as quoted by IOL.

Proteas move back to the drawing board

Despite the heavy defeat, Morkel insisted the team would treat the outing as a learning exercise rather than a setback. One clear positive for the visiting side was the star pace bowler Lungi Ngidi’s ability to regroup despite a costly start to the spell. Morkel highlighted the seamer’s adaptability and variation as assets that could prove crucial as the tournament progresses.

“We tried a few things tonight, which we were happy about, but I think it’s back to the drawing board for us to get feedback from the bowlers as well. I think that’s important,” the Proteas consultant added.

“After his first over, (Ngidi) came back beautifully and that’s probably going to be his role in the team. He’s one of the seamers that possesses a really good slower ball and we’ll be looking to use that a lot more through the tournament,” Morkel said.

South Africa will hope to iron out their bowling issues quickly, with their first match of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup scheduled for Monday in Ahmedabad against Canada.

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