"An absence of cricket thinking" - Sunil Gavaskar on Team India not playing pink-ball Test at home ahead of BGT 2024/25
Legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar has lamented the absence of a pink-ball Test during India's home season ahead of the Australia tour to get them prepared for a similar fixture Down Under. Gavaskar put it down to poor thinking from the team management.
India have played only two pink-ball Tests at home and haven't done so since 2022. Notably, the tourists suffered a meltdown during the day-night Test in Adelaide in 2020, folding for 36 in their second innings after fiery spells by Josh Hazlewood (5/8) and Pat Cummins (4/21).
Writing in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald, the 125-Test veteran stated:
"India haven’t helped their cause by not having even one pink-ball Test out of the five Test matches they played at home. Maybe it was overconfidence or complacency, or just an absence of cricket thinking."
Gavaskar also criticised the Indian team for coming out in separate batches rather than showing a united front and singled out Rohit Sharma for taking paternity leave.
"It was thus important after that disastrous loss to the Kiwis for the team to present a united front when it arrived in Australia," he wrote. "Instead, the players came in different batches, with the captain opting to babysit at home. Add to that the cancellation of a warm-up game before the first Test at Perth doesn’t fill the most ardent supporters of Indian cricket like me with much optimism."
With Rohit not arriving in Australia due to the birth of his first child, Jasprit Bumrah is captaining the side in the first Test. However, the 37-year-old is likelly to be available for the second Test.
"He is a lovable pest" - Sunil Gavaskar on Rishabh Pant
Gavaskar feels Rishabh Pant's ability to change games with the bat will be vital for India. He also lauded the wicketkeeper's ability to encourage the bowlers and fielders from behind the stumps while taking digs at opposition batters. Describing the 27-year-old as a 'lovable pest', Gavaskar wrote (in the aforementioned column):
"How then did Rishabh Pant get through immigration and customs? If there’s a pest for Australia, it is this intrepid keeper-batter, who has turned games on their heads with his irreverent, audacious batting. He is a lovable pest too, especially behind the stumps where his constant words of encouragement to the bowlers and fielders is couched in sly digs at the batter. This is a huge source of entertainment to the viewers since there’s no malice nor foul words, but just non-stop banter."
The 75-year-old reckons that the five-Test rubber will provide India an excellent chance to get back in the series should they lose the first Test.
"India have traditionally been slow starters, often losing the first Test. This being a five Test-series gives them a good chance to get back after that initial loss," he wrote. "They have the experience of the previous tour to lift them up. There was Ravi Shastri, the then-coach, who got them up and running and then achieve the impossible at the Gabba."
India have won the toss in the opening Test in Perth, opting to bat first. Follow live scores over here.