"Beggars belief": Sunil Gavaskar attacks Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma for dropping warm-up match before BGT

Former India National Cricket Team skipper Sunil Gavaskar shared his take on the team canceling the warmup games ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He said that he hopes who has decided to cancel the games proves out to be right.

India National Cricket Team will be taking on Australia National Cricket Team in the five-match Test series. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2025 will be played from 22nd November at the Optus Stadium in Perth and will conclude at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 7th January.

India National Cricket Team was scheduled to play two practice games as well during their tour game. Ahead of the first Test, they were scheduled to lock horns with India A in the three-day game. But the game was canceled by the BCCI to avoid last-minute injuries.

Even Indian skipper Rohit Sharma mentioned that they had chosen to do match simulation in the nets. Apart from this, there was a warm-up against the Australian Prime Minister's XI before the second Test, but that, too, has been canceled.

Hope decision to cancel the games proves out to be right - Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar wasn't amazed by the practice games, saying that he hopes the decision is proven right. He stressed that India batters needed a practice game in Australia considering the way they failed at home against New Zealand. Writing in his column for mid-way, he explained:

"For Indian cricket’s sake (I hope) whoever has taken the call to do away with the warm-up game and then reduce the match between the first and second Test against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI to two days will be proven right.

"To be fair, the Indians did score over 400 in the second innings (of the first Test) in Bangalore, but after that, in four innings, they looked utterly clueless against a spin attack that by no stretch of the imagination was so dangerous that India couldn’t chase 150 in the fourth innings. Yes, there was turn on offer, but again the pitches were not impossible to play on."

Cancellation of the team’s warm-up game in Perth against the India ‘A’ team beggars belief - Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar further added that the cancellation of the team’s warm-up ahead of the opening game is a beggars belief. He believes that net practice won't give players the feel that they could've got while playing the practice game. He added:

"That is why the cancellation of the team’s warm-up game in Perth against the India ‘A’ team beggars belief. 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."

Sunil Gavaskar further admitted that players could've gotten injured while playing against A team. But he stressed the fact that batters are more likely to get injured in nets as well. He added:

"Yes, there’s a possibility that the ‘A’ team's new ball bowlers may not go flat out because of the worry of injuring a key batter, but that’s more likely to happen in the nets where the pitches are usually not as well prepared as in a match and where the bowlers bowl no-balls without any repercussion."

Temperamentally, it’s never going to be the same as playing in a proper match - Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar concluded by saying that even if the batters got out in the nets, he knew that he would have a chance to bat again. He highlighted that temperament is completely different while batting in matches as compared to nets. He also believes that bowlers should get into a proper rhythm with run-ups. He elaborated:

"The batters know that in the nets they can be dismissed three or more times and yet continue to bat and then play with no tension or pressure at all. So temperamentally, it’s never going to be the same as playing in a proper match,"

"For the bowlers, too, getting into a proper rhythm with the run-up and getting confident about not overstepping is crucial. What line and length to bowl is also something that one can learn in a proper game and not in the nets."

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