![Morne Morkel with Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube with Suryakumar Yadav [Source: AFP Media]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1757402707898_morkel_dube.jpg?type=hq)
Morne Morkel with Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube with Suryakumar Yadav [Source: AFP Media]
India's bowling coach, Morne Morkel, in a recent interview, pointed out the importance of Shivam Dube in the composition. He called him an option who can deliver for vital overs for the team if the conditions favour him and the night tilts his way. The fact is that it allows India tactical flexibility and depth while buying India freedom where it counts.
Morkel has signalled a tactical upgrade of the Indian team: Shivam Dube should be ready to bowl four overs if conditions suit, with emphasis on working hard on both skills. This is not about having a token sixth option—it is the balance lever in Gautam Gambhir's era of India.
When Conditions Favour Dube
The UAE venues provide India with different tactical opportunities:
Dubai: Dew and humidity create ideal conditions for off-pace deliveries and cutters. With bigger boundaries, Dubai's variations could be beneficial and his four overs could be premium for India.
Abu Dhabi: This venue is less affected by dew and has bigger straight boundaries. Spinners could be the main weapon for India here; however, Dubai can still contribute a couple of overs, allowing tactical flexibility to the team.
The Sixth-Bowler Dividend
The genius of using more of Dube's bowling enables India to have some great tactical masterclasses.
Bumrah left free for a couple of overs in death: If Dube bowls in the middle overs and does well, he frees up India's biggest weapon in the death overs, Jasprit Bumrah. A couple of overs from the ace Indian pacer will ensure India's advantage in bigger games and in crunch situations.
Using Kuldeep as an attacking option: Dube's overs could be the ones where India look to defend and save runs. With Hardik and Dube using their variations to keep the batters in check, Kuldeep Yadav could become India's attacking option in the middle-overs. Picking up wickets in the middle phase is crucial to gaining complete control of a match. Hence, Kuldeep's elevation as a pure attacking bowler will be highly beneficial for India.
Selection flexibility: With the discussion of using Dube's four overs effectively, Suryakumar Yadav can pick two pacers using Dube and Hardik as the third seamer option, along with three spinners. And even in doing so, India will not be sacrificing a finisher.
Conclusion
India can strategise by giving Dube two to three overs in the middle, while freeing up a couple of overs of Bumrah in the death phase, while Kuldeep develops as an attacking option in the middle-overs.
The Asia Cup is a short tournament, and it also serves as a preparatory ground for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. It is the perfect stage for India to test their strategies and tactical flexibilities that might allow them to enter with a clear insight into the marquee tournament. The whole point of this tactical adaptation is not about Shivam Dube becoming the next Hardik Pandya; it is about giving India the freedom to use their best options when they need them the most.
