New Delhi, Nov 18 Former England captain Michael Vaughan has questioned over India’s decision to forgo a traditional warm-up match ahead of the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India’s approach marks a departure from their previous two tours Down Under, where they played competitive warm-up matches against local teams to acclimatise to Australian conditions. In both the 2018/19 and 2020/21 tours, India utilised these games to prepare for the series, ultimately achieving historic Test victories on Australian soil.
However, this time around, India’s first competitive outing will be the opening Test against Australia at Perth Stadium, starting Friday.
Vaughan questioned whether India had adequately prepared for the challenge of facing Australia in their own backyard and expressed bemusement at the BCCI's choice to cancel a three-day intra-squad game at the WACA in favour of net sessions and match simulations.
“I can’t get my head around a team like India only wanting to play an intra-squad game leading into a series against Australia. I just can’t see how you get yourself in that competitive mindset of consequence by playing an intra-squad game. Time will tell," Vaughan told Fox Sports.
The former England skipper pointed out the value of playing at the WACA, which offers similar bounce and pace to the Optus Stadium pitch in Perth, as a crucial opportunity missed.
"These players have a different kind of mindset to what we had. Whereas we probably needed more games, they’re playing 12 months of the year and think they can react and adapt quickly. But it’ll be intriguing to see how both sets of players settle on that first day when they’re playing the longer form," Vaughan added.
India isn’t alone in bypassing warm-up games on overseas tours. Australia similarly skipped practice matches ahead of last year’s tours to India and England, citing scheduling issues.
'Looking at it through an English mindset, go and beat the Aussie A team, hammer them,” Vaughan said, referencing England’s approach during their victorious 2010/11 Ashes campaign. "Set the marker down that you mean business. That’s what I would be doing if I was England."
With no practice matches to fine-tune their game plans, the Indian team’s adaptability and readiness will be tested from the first ball at Perth Stadium. For Vaughan, the outcome of this gamble could set the tone for the series.
"It’s a bold decision. If they start well, it’ll look like a masterstroke. If not, questions will be asked about their preparation,” he concluded.
The first Test between Australia and India begins Friday at Perth.
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