Plan, practice

Legendary Indian cricket team batter Sunil Gavaskar has urged the national side to play first-class matches or tour games in preparation for the Test series against Australia in December 2024. Gavaskar pointed at the loss in the first Test match against South Africa in Centurion and stated that it is part of India’s ‘pattern’ lately to lose the first game of a series and play catch up. The legendary cricketer added that even though the tour matches feature second rate sides, the preparation will be quite beneficial.“The defeat in Centurion is pretty much a pattern for Indian teams touring the SENA countries, where they lose the first Test of the series and then play catch-up for the remainder of the series. The next big series overseas is exactly a year away in Australia, and if India needs to keep the winning momentum of the previous two tours there, then the planning must start now. The FTP suggests that India is playing two Tests against Bangladesh and three Tests against New Zealand at home from the end of September to early November,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.“The first Test of a five-match series in Australia will likely start in early December, so it does give the Indians time to play a couple, if not more, first-class games before the series. Rohit said after the loss in Centurion that these games are no good because the host countries put up second-rate teams, and they get to play on slow pitches. Even if that is true, isn’t it better to get into a rhythm against such opposition than stay at home? Not only the batters can get some runs under their belts, but the bowlers can also go flat out and test themselves,” he added.