The analysis and after-effect of the India vs Australia series, where Rohit Sharma and Co. were drubbed 1-3 will be a far-reaching one it seems. Already reports are saying that BCCI has cracked the whip on the superstars by insisting that they play domestic cricket. There are also reported mandates on family members, managers and other supports staff. In the midst of this, Sunil Gavaskar has sent a very hard-hitting message to the BCCI. The former India captain urged that there was immediate need to shake things up to make Indian cricket ‘rocking again.
“With two back-to-back Test series losses, and bad ones too, there’s a dull feeling about the rest of the international season. The excitement that is usually there in anticipation of a new series doesn’t seem to be there, and the listlessness that one saw on the field seems to have been transmitted to the fans too.
“The first decision to take in such a situation is whether to look at the immediate future or take a long-term view of how to get Indian cricket rocking again. The next few months are all going to be about limited-overs cricket and the IPL. White-ball performances should not blind us to the deficiencies in Test cricket. These need to be addressed too, as the new cycle for the World Test Championship final begins with the five-Test match series against England from mid-June,” Gavaskar wrote in a column for Sportstar.
The batting great insisted that a very wrong message was sent by the team in the Australia Tour right at the start of the two-month long trip.
“The mistakes that were made in Australia should not be repeated. The team should arrive in England in one group and not in four batches as was done in Australia. For the first two days in Australia, the team was without captain, vice-captain and coach. What kind of a message does it send to the home team?
“That here’s a team that has arrived with no leadership group and can be easily broken with a few tough performances. Surely the BCCI will not allow this to happen again. Yes, the odd player who is recovering from injury can join the team later, but the leaders must be the first to arrive to make a statement that the team is ready for battle.”
He also advised the Indian cricket team to go for multiple practice matches before its next Test series in England in June-July.
“Now that India hasn’t qualified for the WTC final, there’s an additional week for the team to acclimatise by playing some practice games. English conditions mean that the ball will swing in the air and seam after pitching,” he wrote.
“However much one practises in the nets, the knowledge that even if a batter gets out a few times in the net, he can carry on batting doesn’t make for good mental preparation. Never mind if the opposition for practice matches isn’t top class; the runs scored and wickets taken in a match will boost the confidence considerably.”
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