Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are likely wishing for warm-up matches before the first Test in Perth, according to Sanjay Manjrekar. The Indian cricket team, which traveled to Australia in stages, will not play any warm-up games before their opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Instead of holding an intra-squad match against India A, the team decided to focus on match simulations at the WACA in Perth, just ahead of the first Test at Optus Stadium.
Manjrekar emphasized the importance of warm-up matches, particularly given the form and confidence levels of the team going into this crucial series. India recently faced a historic defeat at home against New Zealand and both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli received criticism after scoring 91 and 93 runs in that three-match series.
“The absence of a warm-up game could be significant, especially given the team’s current form and confidence. Recently, warm-up matches have been on the decline, but during this tour, we saw India A batters struggle even in Indian conditions, which highlights the need for more warm-up games,” Manjrekar expressed on ESPNcricinfo.
He also noted that the pitches in Australia might have more grass this time, which could pose a challenge for younger Indian batsmen. Players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, and Dhruv Jurel are yet to play Test matches in Australia, and Manjrekar believes they will need time to adapt to the different pace and bounce of the pitches.
“This time, the Australian pitches will likely have more life, so it’s even more important for our younger players to adjust,” he added.
While historical trends show that the Indian team has managed better in situations with fewer warm-up games, Manjrekar pointed out that many of those earlier teams had more experience. He believes that the current lineup would benefit from extra practice before facing Australia. Kohli and Sharma, in particular, would have preferred the chance to play some warm-up games.
The Indian team has arrived in Australia and is already in training. They will compete against Pat Cummins’ Australian team in a five-match Test series that could have implications for the World Test Championship Final, scheduled to take place at Lord’s in 2025.
