IND-A tri-series | Competing in 50-over format will prepare India-A players for the rigours of ODI cricket: Joshi

There has been no extended holiday for the bulk of India’s A team. A week after a hectic IPL season, the players were on a flight to Sri Lanka for the tri-series.

And, just a couple of days after the tournament ends, captain Tilak Varma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will jet off to Ireland and England for another white-ball tour with India’s senior men’s team.

But the team management is clear in its thought process — the players need to work on the longer format now, after several months of T20 cricket, before heading to the United Kingdom.

And, they are also collaborating with the India-A coaching set-up, which includes Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Sunil Joshi and L. Balaji, all members of the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.

“We are all following what the senior team is looking at. The ‘A’ team is a feeder, and we need to ensure that they get enough game time, enough practice time and get their skills developed,” Joshi told The Hindu.

There were rain interruptions at the Rangiri Stadium on Saturday, but that did not stop India-A from having a long session. Tilak and Sooryavanshi spent considerable time in the nets, joined by Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh.

India-A players during a training session in Dambulla on Saturday.
| Photo Credit:
Shayan Acharya

Joshi, a former India spinner and ex-national selector, added: “It is important for them to play this longer format, considering that next year is the ODI World Cup. And the more they get to play the 50-over format, they will get used to the longer duration of staying in the middle.

“They will realise that it’s a 50-over game. It’s no more a 20-over game which is going to finish in 90 minutes.”

For bowlers, it will be a different challenge.

“In T20s, there are only four overs, but here you will have to bowl multiple spells [10 overs]. You need to get organised in terms of how you’re going to bowl in the PowerPlay, middle overs and at the death. That’s the communication from the team management,” Joshi added.