Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar has opened up on the absence of a pink ball Test during Team India’s home season ahead of the Australia tour to get them prepared for a similar fixture in Australia as well. However, India have played only two pink-ball Tests at home and they haven’t played any since 2022.

Writing in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald, he stated: “India haven’t helped their cause by not having even one pink-ball Test out of the five Test matches they played at home. Maybe it was overconfidence or complacency, or just an absence of cricket thinking. It was thus important after that disastrous loss to the Kiwis for the team to present a united front when it arrived in Australia,” he wrote.

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“Instead, the players came in different batches, with the captain opting to babysit at home. Add to that the cancellation of a warm-up game before the first Test at Perth doesn’t fill the most ardent supporters of Indian cricket like me with much optimism,” he again added.

He also shared that Rishabh Pant’s ability to change games with the bat will be important for India. He also applauded the wicketkeeper’s ability to encourage the bowlers and fielders from behind the stumps as well.

“How then did Rishabh Pant get through immigration and customs? If there’s a pest for Australia, it is this intrepid keeper-batter, who has turned games on their heads with his irreverent, audacious batting. He is a lovable pest too, especially behind the stumps where his constant words of encouragement to the bowlers and fielders is couched in sly digs at the batter. This is a huge source of entertainment to the viewers since there’s no malice nor foul words, but just non-stop banter,” he added.

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“India have traditionally been slow starters, often losing the first Test. This being a five Test-series gives them a good chance to get back after that initial loss,” he wrote. “They have the experience of the previous tour to lift them up. There was Ravi Shastri, the then-coach, who got them up and running and then achieve the impossible at the Gabba.”