Gavaskar advises India to reconsider Australia warm-up cancellation following New Zealand defeat: 'Juniors need to be given...'

Sunil Gavaskar has strongly recommended that India reevaluate their decision to forego a scheduled warm-up match against an India A side before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series in Australia. In his opinion, while the warm-up may not be crucial for the established senior players, it is essential for those with limited experience playing in Australian conditions to acclimate themselves to the challenges they will face. Gavaskar believes that this preparation is vital for the team's success in the upcoming series.

“I really do believe that they should have a warm-up game. In the gaps between Test matches, they really should have warm-up games,” Gavaskar told The Indian Express. “Not necessarily for the senior players. But for the junior players who have never played in Australia before. For the Yashasvi Jaiswals, the Sarfaraz Khans, the Dhruv Jurels, all these young batters. Even against an Australia A team or a state side like Queensland. Juniors must be given the opportunity to get used to the bounce and pitches in Australia.”

India are scheduled to leave for Australia on November 10 and were initially supposed to play an intra-squad match against India A ahead of the first Test in Perth. However, they are now set to have a centre-wicket match simulation with the warm-up match having been cancelled. India captain Rohit Sharma said that the simulation will allow both batters and bowlers to have more time in the middle than a practice match.

“We are travelling with a squad of 19 players and only three days were allotted to us. I don’t know how much workload we can get in those three days in terms of getting everyone prepared. 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. That is something that we as a team feel more comfortable doing rather than playing a practice game because game time is not a problem,” said Rohit after India's humiliating 3-0 series loss to New Zealand at home.

Gavaskar said that the younger players in the squad who will be playing in Australia for the first time should just believe in themselves. He recommended facing quicker bowlers and asking for throwdowns from closer than where they would be receiving deliveries from.

"Just believe in yourself. Practice as much as you can. I think there is some merit in facing throwdowns. But it is more important to play regular bowling. Face the quicker bowlers. Not (Jasprit) Bumrah, of course, because Bumrah can kill you. But you can ask others to bowl from 20 yards instead of 22 yards. So therefore, the ball comes on to the bat quickly.

And you will get used to it. That is what I would say to the batsmen. In five-day games you have to be patient and you will score runs. Australian pitches are the best pitches to bat on after the new ball is done. And nowadays, the new ball is only swinging and moving for 10-12 overs," said Gavaskar.