The Indian cricket team faced a disappointing defeat in the final of the World Test Championship, where Australia emerged victorious with a 209-run margin. Criticisms were directed towards the Indian team management for not allowing enough time for acclimatization to the English conditions. It was noted that all Indian squad members, except Cheteshwar Pujara, had arrived in England shortly before the WTC Final, with different schedules due to their participation in the 2023 Indian Premier League.

Pujara, who had been playing for Sussex in England for over a month, was the only player with prior exposure to English conditions. However, his experience did not translate into a successful performance in the final, as he managed scores of 14 and 27 in the two innings. 

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Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly expressed his disagreement with the theory that the Indian team was underprepared due to the IPL. Ganguly cited the example of Ajinkya Rahane, who had also played in the IPL and performed exceptionally well in the final (scoring 89 and 46).

“I don’t agree with this theory. Ajinkya Rahane also played IPL and he played very well during IPL and World Test Championship final. So I don’t believe in this theory. Some of the Australian boys (Cameron Green, David Warner) played well in the IPL and also did well in the World Test Championship,” Sourav Ganguly stated in an interview with PTI.

Ganguly emphasized that there was sufficient time for the Indian players to adjust to the English conditions and highlighted that such situations were not uncommon for Indian cricketers in the past.

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“After the IPL finished, there was enough time to acclimatize to Test cricket. They went to England and they played. It used to happen in the past. You played ODI cricket and you played Test cricket, things used to happen very, very quickly, so I don’t believe it’s an issue. So I believe that even if you play IPL, you should have the ability to adjust your technique and temperament and do well in a Test match,” Sourav Ganguly further explained.

The Indian team will soon return to action in a two-Test series against West Indies in the Caribbean, commencing on July 12.