The legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar reckons that the Indian team needs to be a lot smarter in their preparations for the for the third Test of the 5-match series at Trent Bridge. Team India was outplayed by England at Lord’s by an innings and 159 runs in the second Test and it came after the disappointing 31-run defeat at Edgbaston. India can’t afford to face a defeat in the third Test if they to aspire to keep their hopes alive in the series.
Gavaskar, who was critical of India’s preparations for the Test series said, “I can understand they have taken the day off today… they are still licking the wounds of the defeat at Lord’s but they should have been planning to leave for Nottingham after today which would have been the last day of the Lord’s Test and practice from tomorrow. You cannot get practice facilities in London as easily as you would in Nottingham – I hope they practice from Tuesday. Everybody needs to get down to practice There’s no such thing as optional practice when you are 0-2 down.”
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He further added, “You don’t just need net practice but practice matches also. One should strive for practice games between third and fourth Test as well when there is space. There may possibly be some new players coming in after the third Test and they need some practice time as well. These things have to be thought about. I have been saying this since January when the South Africa tour was lost. But perhaps we are old-fashioned, who don’t understand modern day cricket.”
Gavaskar had also batted for the young Rishabh Pant not so long ago when he had said that southpaw’s selection in the squad ahead of everybody else justifies the talent in him.
As quoted in Times of India, the batting legend said, “It is an opportunity for sure for the third Test, he might get into the team. The fact that he was chosen ahead of everybody else, the moment that Saha was declared unfit, just tells you about the thinking of the selection committee and team management. Pant might get in the team as a batsman down the order.”
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Pant had a significant tour of England for the India ‘A’ side in June and July. He hit five half-centuries in eight matches, including four in last three games, which makes him familiar enough with the English conditions.
If Pant makes the cut and manages to produce a decent performance in the series, India’s headaches to find an apt replacement of MS Dhoni after his retirement in December 2014 could well find a remedy. They have experimented far too long with the players like Dinesh Karthik, Parthiv Patel, and Wriddhiman Saha and although Saha has done comparatively well with the gloves and bat, his frequent injuries have not helped the team’s cause either.
