We Have Requested For A Couple Of Games In Australia Before The Test Series: Ravi Shastri
India head coach Ravi Shastri, on Thursday, said the team-management has requested for two warm-up games before India’s tour of Australia kicks off later this year.
In the wake of two series defeats in overseas series, Indian team-management’s decision to not give priority to warm-up games has attracted widespread criticism. From fans, pundits to former players, almost everyone has slammed the decision.
The team opted to skip the one-off warm-up match ahead of the three-Test series in South Africa in January in favour of high-intensity training sessions. Not surprisingly, the lack of preparation was clearly visible as India lost the series 2-1. Kohli & Co. did play one in England. But what was initially an official first-class game, turned into a glorified practice session in the name of warm-up game with all 18 players taking part.
And the team did little to justify the decision in the series. Barring the third Test at Trent Bridge, majority of India’s batsmen struggled in all the other games. The result – 4-1 thrashing for the world number one Test side. Well, it looks like Ravi Shastri has finally learned the importance of warm-up games as he revealed he has asked the board for a couple of practise ties ahead of the series in Australia.
The India coach also insisted that he is not against playing warm-up games.
“Absolutely not. Why would we be?. You can only see the results (in the England Tests). Every time after the second Test we have improved. You can still get better. But why can’t we be in that position in the first Test match?,” he was quoted as saying by ‘ESPNCricinfo’.
Shastri, though, was doubtful if practice games for the tour Down Under could be arranged due to a crammed schedule.
“If you have two or three games against weaker sides we don’t mind because it is a game. But when you have a schedule as tight as this and when you have a memorandum of understanding that has already been formulated, with a choc-a-bloc calendar, there is very little you can do. Now, we have requested for a couple of games in Australia before the Test series. But is there space (to play those matches)? That is the question,” he wondered.
Earlier during the series in England, India captain Virat Kohli had defended their decision of not playing enough warm-up games. He had said such matches weren’t always useful as oppositions were often of poor quality and pitches not similar to to the ones prepared for the Test matches.
“Ideally we would want two three- or four-day games before a Test series. But do you have the time? For example, we have a T20 series in Australia preceding the Test series. There is a 10-day gap before the first Test. These are things that have been approved earlier. It is not in our control.”
India’s Australia tour will start with a three-match T20I series, beginning November 21. The Test series will start just days after the T20Is.
