Anil Kumble questions India's preparation for Australia Test series
Indian cricket legend Anil Kumble has raised concerns over the national team's preparatory plans for the upcoming five-match Test series in Australia. This comes after captain Rohit Sharma confirmed that no practice match would be held before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series opener in Perth on November 22. The comments came after India's disappointing 0-3 whitewash by New Zealand at home.
Kumble expresses surprise at BCCI's decision
Kumble was surprised at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) canceling a practice match, which was scheduled against the currently-touring India A side in Perth. "I'm a bit surprised that India don't have a practice match going into the first Test because that would have been an ideal preparation," he said on Jiocinema.
Kumble emphasizes on importance of match practice
Kumble also stressed on the need of match practice for players, especially those touring Australia for the first time. He said no amount of net practice can replace real match experience. "No matter how much you practice in the nets, going out in the middle and facing a few bowlers in the match is totally different," he said.
India's preparation plan for Perth opener
Despite Kumble's concerns, the Indian team has a different preparation plan. KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel are scheduled to reach Australia by Tuesday to play an India A match against Australia A in Melbourne later this week. The rest of the team will leave for Perth on November 10 and practice at WACA, where they will undergo match simulation as part of their preparation for the Test series opener.
Sharma defends team's preparation strategy
Sharma had defended the team's preparation strategy after the 0-3 home whitewash against New Zealand. He had explained that with time constraints and a large squad of 19 players, match simulation was more beneficial than a practice game. "The management feels that we'd rather have a match simulation where batters can spend more time in the middle and the bowlers can bowl a lot of balls," Sharma had said.
