Sunil Gavaskar cites poor preparation, tough scheduling for India's failures
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has highlighted poor preparation and tough scheduling as major factors affecting India's performance in Test cricket. The comments come after a disappointing home Test series against South Africa, which marked a whitewash under head coach Gautam Gambhir. Gavaskar emphasized that both New Zealand and South Africa had better preparations than India, leading to their success in the recent series.
Preparation analysis
Gavaskar praises preparation of opposing teams
Speaking to India Today, Gavaskar praised the preparation of New Zealand and South Africa for their recent series against India. He noted that the Kiwis played a series in Sri Lanka before coming to India, which helped them acclimatize to weather conditions and pitches. Similarly, South Africa sent their A team to play against India A in October, ensuring some players were prepared for the Test matches.
Scheduling concerns
Gavaskar questions scheduling decisions
Gavaskar also questioned the scheduling of international matches, especially an ODI series against Australia after a home series against West Indies. He argued that the series was unnecessary given that the ODI World Cup is only set for 2027. However, he acknowledged India's popularity in global cricket and its demand throughout the year due to market forces.
BCCI advice
Gavaskar urges BCCI to prioritize home season
Gavaskar advised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to be stricter about away tours during the home season. He stressed that Australia doesn't tour during their home season and India should adopt a similar approach. The former cricketer also suggested that other teams should be told to prioritize India's season, emphasizing its importance in global cricket.
Gambhir
Gavaskar defends head coach Gambhir
Gavaskar also defended head coach Gambhir, who is under fire after the defeat. "He's a coach. The coach can prepare a team. The coach can tell, you know, a guy with his experience. But it's out there in the middle that the players have to deliver. Now, to those who are asking, you know, for him to be held accountable, my question, counter-question is: what did you do when India won the Champions Trophy under him?" added Gavaskar.
Low
India's biggest Test defeat
India have slumped to a historic low in Test cricket. This marked India's first home Test series defeat at the hands of South Africa in 25 years. India lost the 2nd Test by a mammoth 408 runs, their biggest margin of defeat in terms of runs, according to ESPNcricinfo. This was also the first instance of India losing a Test by a margin of 350-plus runs.