"Chup ke to practice kar rahe hai" - Basit Ali unimpressed by India's tactics ahead of 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Former Pakistani batter Basit Ali believes that India haven't prepared well for their upcoming five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia. He took a dig at the touring party's decision to train secretly in Perth ahead of the opening Test.
The Indian team management reportedly didn't allow the public to watch the side's practice sessions in Perth. Basit reckoned that India may be low on confidence heading into the Australia Test series.
The cricketer-turned-expert also slammed India for not playing practice matches in Australia to gear up for the crucial tour. Speaking in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Basit remarked (from 2:28):
"The confidence level of the Indian team is very low. Chup ke to practice kar rahe hai (They are practicing secretly). Play as per your normal routine. You should play a match. They are not playing the match because they don't want an injury. However, there was an injury even during the practice."
Highlighting the importance of playing practice matches in the lead-up to an Australia tour, the 53-year-old added (from 2:56):
"The preparation that should have been done before the series is missing. It doesn't matter if you reached Australia 12 days before the series or even 12 months before the series. This is not the way. You should play matches in Australia to be able to tackle their bowling."
It is worth mentioning that instead of a practice match, the Indian team opted for an intra-squad match simulation drill ahead of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
"Australia in Australia are a very dangerous side, especially according to this Indian team" - Basit Ali on 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Basit Ali reckoned that Australia will be a tough team to beat for the current Indian team. He mentioned that the Rohit Sharma-led side's confidence may have hit rock bottom following an unprecedented home series whitewash to New Zealand.
Speaking in the aforementioned video, Basit said (from 0:54):
"Australia in Australia are a very dangerous side, especially according to this Indian team because they have lost 3-0 to New Zealand. The confidence level of the players and the team management is very low."
The 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy kicks off with the Test series opener in Perth on Friday, November 22.