"You Need To Score": Rohit Sharma And Co. Delivered Strong Message By Indian Team Management After Failing vs NZ

The batters' constant failure in making runs in the first innings is costing the team dear, admitted bowling coach Morne Morkel even as India are in danger of losing the first Test series at home since 2012-13. After getting bundled out for an abysmal 46 in the first innings of the opening Test, India were skittled out for a mere 156 in the first essay of second Test in Pune on Friday as New Zealand took firm control of the match. "I never like to have a punch up between batters and bowlers but, in Test match cricket you need to score the first innings runs," Morkel told the media during the post-day press meet.

"If we put our hand up, we haven't been able to do that. There are world class players in our batting line up. I know that individually, they've got their processes and they know how to go about those things," he added.

Morkel hoped to see a better outing from Indian batters in the second innings.

“Hopefully, we can iron those mistakes out because it's costing us at the moment — not getting the runs on the board — but I'm pretty sure there's enough experience, enough knowledge amongst them to rectify that,” he added.

“I back the team (to come up) with a strong response in our second innings. I'm excited to see how they bounce back and how they play this situation and the conditions,” he said.

Morkel said India will have to maintain belief and back their knowledge of the conditions to avert losing the match and the series.

"We have to believe. This game is a funny game. Our guys are attacking players, there's guys that know these conditions well. Our talk before this game was that we are masters in these conditions, we know how to sum these conditions up,” he said.

“Let's be honest, it's going to be a tough task.