AHEAD OF the home Test season, the selection committee wanted top Indian players to get some match practice in the Duleep Trophy, as preparation for the home series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, but they refused to play the domestic tournament citing “lack of motivation”, The Indian Express has learnt.
On Sunday, several experts felt that lack of adequate match practice was a key reason behind the 0-3 whitewash at home against the Kiwis.
“They should have had some practice, definitely. It’s a long gap. I know we beat Bangladesh and therefore, it looked as if it was going to be a cakewalk against New Zealand,” former India captain Sunil Gavaskar told The Indian Express on Sunday. “But New Zealand, obviously, had a better attack, with cricketers who have played in India and in the IPL, who have a sense of what Indian pitches do,” he said.
Most of the senior cricketers were far from their best, especially against New Zealand. They were found wanting in dealing with home conditions and negotiating the turning ball, something that was second nature for players of earlier generations.
Even skipper Rohit Sharma and senior batsman Virat Kohli had an underwhelming series. In his last 10 innings, Kohli managed 192 runs, while Sharma scored just 133. Both have played little domestic cricket of late. The last time Sharma played at the Ranji Trophy was in 2015; Kohli last featured in one back in 2012.
The top Indian players had a month-long gap after the ICC T20 World Cup triumph in June. According to sources, the selection committee planned for all top players to be available for the Duleep Trophy, held in Bengaluru (one match) and Anantapur from September 5 to September 22, in order to provide them some match practice before the red-ball season.
It is learnt that Sharma and Kohli, along with other key players, gave their consent initially. However, some of the top top players later decided to withdraw their names, and went into the two Tests against Bangladesh (in September) and the three against New Zealand without much recent red-ball cricket under their belt.
According to sources, when Sharma, Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah didn’t participate in the Duleep Trophy, the selection committee decided to release Ravindra Jadeja, who had agreed to play in the domestic tournament.
Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, K L Rahul and Washington Sundar were among those who played in the Duleep Trophy before the home Test season, and most of them had at least one significant knock in the five Tests.
Looking ahead, Gavaskar asked the Indian players to not delve too much into what had happened and prepare for the future, where a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series looms Down Under. India had returned triumphant from their last two visits.
“What I would say to them is just forget it. Forget it as a bad dream. Just totally focus on Australia. Go there, practise with purpose and with the intent of trying to win the series again for the third time. Whether you win 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, whatever. That’s the one thing that will lift the Indian cricket-loving public,” the former cricketer, now a commentator, said.
