Legendary spinner Anil Kumble has questioned Team India’s decision not to play any practice matches ahead of the five-match Test series against Australia.
After the humiliating 3-0 home defeat against New Zealand, India’s chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship hang by a thread. India needs to win the series by a margin of 4-0 to reach the final for the third consecutive time.
With a spot in the WTC final at stake, not many expected Team India to enter the series without playing any practice games. However, captain Rohit Sharma has confirmed that the team will not play any practice match before the important series. The Indian team was due to face India A in Perth before the series but the game will no longer take place.
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Anil Kumble on India’s decision:
The decision to cancel the game has taken many by surprise, including Anil Kumble. The former India captain and coach said a practice match would have been an ideal preparation for the team. Anil Kumble said that no matter how much players practice in the nets, facing bowlers in a match is a totally different situation.
“I’m a little surprised that India doesn’t have a practice match before the first Test because that would have been ideal preparation. No matter how much you practice in the nets, going out in the middle and taking on some bowlers, in the match it’s totally different,” Anil Kumble told JioCinema.
Earlier, India captain Rohit Sharma confirmed that the team will not play any practice match before the start of the five-match series against Australia. Speaking after the third Test against New Zealand, the veteran batsman explained the reason behind the team management’s decision to cancel the practice match.
“We are traveling with a team of 19 players and we have only been given three days. I don’t know how much workload we can have in those three days in terms of preparing everyone. The management feels that we would prefer to have a match simulation where the batsmen can pass more time in the middle and the bowlers can throw a lot of balls.
Sharma and his teammates will be desperate to bounce back in Australia after the humiliating defeat to New Zealand. India have won their last two Test series in Australia and will be looking for a third consecutive victory in a record-breaking Test series on Australian soil.
