Picture Credit: X
Former India captain and legend of the game Sunil Gavaskar on Sunday, December 8 shared a piece of advice for the Indian cricket team after they suffered a crushing defeat against Australia in the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. With the series now levelled at 1-1, India will eye to comeback strongly in the game in the third Test, set to be played from Saturday, December 14 at The Gabba in Brisbane.
Speaking after completion of the Adelaide Test, Gavaskar opined that Indian cricketers should utilise the two extra days following the early finish in second Test. He emphasised that it’s not ideal to waste time and instead should fine-tune their skills in order to eye a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final.
Do not waste these days, practice: Sunil Gavaskar to Team India
Speaking alongside Mark Nicholas and Matthew Hayden at the Adelaide Oval, Sunil Gavaskar said, “Look at the remainder of the series as a three-match series. Forget it was a five-Test series. What I would like this Indian team to do is use the next couple of days for practice. It’s very important. You can’t be sitting in your hotel room or whenever you’re going because you have come here to play cricket.”
“You don’t have to practice the whole day. You can practice a session in the morning or afternoon, whichever time you choose, but do not waste these days. You would have been here playing a Test match if the Test match were to go on for five days. You have to get yourself that much more time to get into the rhythm because you have not got the runs. Your bowlers haven’t got the rhythm. There are others too who need time in the middle,” Gavaskar added.
I don’t believe in optional practice: Sunil Gavaskar
Further speaking about practice, Gavaskar opined that he does not believe in optional practice. "This optional practice session is something that I don’t believe. The decision for optional training should rest with the captain and the coach. The coach should say, ‘Hey, you hit 150, you don’t need to come to practice. Hey, you bowled 40 overs in the match, you don’t need to come to practice.’ They should not be given the option. If you give the players that option, a lot of them, especially the certainties, will say, ‘No, I am going to stay in my room.’ And that’s not what Indian cricket needs,” he said.
"My request to them is to please come and practice. Again, Bumrah doesn’t have to practice. If Rohit and Virat don’t have to practice, that’s fine, because they are experienced players. Let the others come out and practice," he concluded. India’s struggle with the pink-ball continued as the Australian pacers, including the likes of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins ran through the Indian batting lineup. While Starc finished with eight wickets, registering his fourth five-wicket haul with pink-ball, Cummins, completed a five-for in the second innings.
