After levelling the T20I series in the ongoing Australia tour, the Indian cricket team is now focusing to the upcoming four-match Test series. Prior to the Test series, India is going to play a four-day warm-up game against Cricket Australia XI at Sydney, starting on 28 November. Indian pacer Ishant Sharma claimed that they are taking seriously the warm-up game.

While India’s recent overseas Test records are not so good, especially in the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries, the upcoming Test series is going to be a crucial series for the Indian cricket team.

Prior to the warm-up game, the 30-year-old Indian pacer Ishant Sharma feels that the warm-up game is important for them to start well in the upcoming Test series.

Ishant addressed to the media, “It’s pretty serious for us. It sets the tone. It will help us get accustomed to the conditions because we’re playing in Australia after a long time. So obviously, you can get into the groove. I think it’s an important game. We never think about stuff like an opposition doesn’t have big players because if you go with this feeling, you relax a bit. So, it’s always better to be on your toes and give your 100 percent on a day.”

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While India has never won the Test series on the Australian soil, many experts believe it is the best time for the present Indian cricket team to win the Test series on the Australia tour. Though Australia’s present performances in international cricket are not so good, due to missing some important and experienced regular cricketers, Indian team is not taking their opponents lightly.

Ishant added, “To be very honest, we don’t think about these things, because it always depends on the given day. In cricket, whoever is playing for the country, they are good enough, that’s why they are representing the nation. We don’t take any opposition lightly and Australia will be no different.”

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This is going to be Ishant’s fourth Australia tour, starting from 2007, and has taken 20 wickets in this country in 10 Tests. The tall right-arm pacer is hoping to do well in this tour as he claimed that the former Aussie pacer and the present Sussex head coach Jason Gillespie helped him during his county stint.

Ishant said, “I’ve played for 11 years now so I don’t really need to think about what I need to do. I don’t dwell much into the past, It’s about looking ahead and hoping to do well. He (Gillespie) helped me during my county stint and it was a good experience with him.”

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Talking about the team combination for the upcoming Test series, Ishant said that it will be depended on a lot of things like pitches, conditions etc.

The right-arm pacer said, “The combination depends of a lot of things, pitches, weather etc. It’s a little early to talk about combinations I think. Right now, the practice game is where our focus lies and perhaps we’ll get a better idea about the combinations afterwards.”