Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has expressed disappointment over the short duration of India’s tour game against Australia’s Prime Minister’s XI ahead of the Test series.
In their quest for a hat-trick of Test series wins in Australia, India will play five matches starting in November. Preparing for the day-night Adelaide Test, the teams will engage in a two-day warm-up fixture slotted between first and second Tests.
However, Gavaskar feels the regular tour match being reduced to merely two days defeats its purpose. While understanding senior players’ rest, he mentioned younger cricketers could have benefited from a proper first-class game instead.
The former captain wrote that Australians will be hungry for revenge and Indians need to be razor sharp. Therefore, a longer tour match would have allowed inexperienced players more chances to excel against defending champions.
He further stated there’s still time for BCCI to convert the game into a three-day affair. This, Sunil Gavaskar opined, can aid the team’s preparation for the challenging assignment ahead.
Meanwhile, India A will play two four-day ‘Tests’ against their Australian counterparts from October end to prepare second-string players. The senior Indian team too will face intra-squad competition ahead of the main series.
With a hat-trick in sight, the visitors will be leaving no stone unturned in acclimatizing to Australian conditions through such contests before taking on the hosts.
