India’s legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has voiced his frustration over the team’s decision to cancel a scheduled practice match in Australia ahead of their first Test in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
Gavaskar, who has always been a strong advocate for proper match preparation, described the decision as “beggars belief.”
Cricket Legend Sunil Gavaskar Alarmed by India’s Practice Match Cancellation
Originally, India was set to play a warm-up game against India A at the WACA before their first Test on November 22 at Perth Stadium. However, the team, led by captain Rohit Sharma, opted for match simulation in the nets instead.
This change means that the first Test’s Day 1 will be the team’s first exposure to competitive cricket on the tour.
This decision has come under scrutiny especially after India suffered a shocking whitewash at the hands of New Zealand in a recent three-match Test series at home.
The unprecedented result has jeopardized India’s journey to the World Test Championship final. Adding to the concerns, a scheduled warm-up match against the Australia Prime Minister’s XI has also been truncated.
“For Indian cricket’s sake, I hope whoever has taken the call to do away with the warm-up game and reduce the match between the first and second Test against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI to two days will be proven right,” Gavaskar expressed in his column for Mid-Day.
His words echo the sentiment of many who believe that the team needs every bit of match practice it can get, especially after their recent poor performance.
Gavaskar emphasized that the Indian batters required the practice game to regain their form, particularly after their struggle against New Zealand’s spin attack at home.
“To be fair, the Indians did score over 400 in the second innings in Bangalore, but after that, in four innings they looked utterly clueless against a spin attack that by no stretch of imagination was so dangerous,” he noted.
He argued that no amount of net practice could replicate the experience and confidence gained from spending time in the middle during a practice match.
“There is no better feeling for a batter to spend time out in the centre and feel the ball hit the middle of the bat.
No amount of net practice is ever going to replace that feeling of flow and bat speed that one gets even after a short stay at the crease,” Gavaskar explained.
Moreover, Gavaskar highlighted the importance of proper match conditions for both batters and bowlers. For the bowlers, getting into a proper rhythm and gaining confidence about not overstepping is crucial, something that cannot be fully achieved in the nets.
As India prepares for a challenging series in Australia, Gavaskar’s plea serves as a reminder of the importance of traditional match preparation.
Whether the decision to skip the practice match will prove to be wise or not remains to be seen, but the legendary cricketer’s concerns certainly add to the ongoing debate about the team’s readiness for the high-stakes series ahead.
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