SA vs IND 2018: Team India Declined BCCI's Offer to Send Core Players to South Africa Early

At a time when India’s decision to not play a warm-up game in South Africa following the 72-run loss in the first Test is being questioned, reports have emerged the team-management declined a proposal from the BCCI and Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) to send Test specialists to the rainbow nation a few weeks before the series.

The Indian Express has reported the board had even suggested that top Test players could skip the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and travel instead to South Africa but the team-management refused it.

“The BCCI had offered Indian team management that the core group of Test team can be sent to South Africa early. Players like Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane are not part of limited overs cricket and were playing local cricket here. The BCCI was ready to bear the cost, but team management showed no interest and declined the offer,” a BCCI official told the news outlet. “We were even ready to let top players skip ODI and T20 legs of the series against Sri Lanka.”

“Players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman were sent to Australia or New Zealand where they played with local teams before joining the Indian team. The BCCI has no problem in arranging practice games before any overseas tour. It’s the team management which has to take the call. When Dravid had requested for an early trip to New Zealand the board straight away said yes as these Under-19 boys have not played in New Zealand before,” the source added.

The Indian team also cancelled the scheduled practice game and instead opted for extra practice sessions. In a country where India is yet to win a series in six attempts, the current side left for South Africa on December 28, just seven days before the series started.

When @ImRo45 hit the nets here in Newlands #TeamIndia #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/OS6FNceaqo

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 3, 2018

And the way the world number one Test side thoroughly got outplayed in the series-opener in Cape Town, it seemed India missed a trick by not sending its players early in South Africa. After Hardik Pandya’s 93-run knock helped them to recover from 92 for seven in the first innings, Kohli & Co. failed to deliver in the second innings too, getting all out for just 135 while chasing 208. 

The batsmen struggled with the pace and bounce of South African wicket and as a result could not complement the bowlers who did a brilliant job by restricting the hosts to just 130 in the second innings.

Meanwhile, Kohli, speaking a day after the loss in Cape Town, had dismissed suggestions the team’s preparation could have been better.

“We were very well prepared. I don’t think we felt any lack of preparation. Even they got out for 130 in the second innings, and they play here all the time. It was a wicket where things were happening every day. And I think we let ourselves down with the bat, that’s for sure,” Kohli had said.

Here is the news feed:

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Follow India’s tour to South Africa here: South Africa Vs India – 2018

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