Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket Team managed to tie the Test series against South Africa, after beating the hosts at Cape Town’s Newlands Cricket Ground in the second Test by 7 wickets.
Despite the manner Newlands pitch behaved across the four sessions in two days, Indian pacers – Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mukesh Kumar – destroyed South Africa’s dangerous batting order, which led the Test match over in just 5 sessions.
This is the shortest Test match in the history of cricket with the result of only 642 balls delivered. India vs South Africa 2nd Test match breaks the 1932 record of 656 balls when Australia defeated South Africa.
With the possibility that India may have lost the match and the series, considering the poor Indian batting show which also includes India’s performance at the Centurion Test, legendary Sunil Gavaskar has urged the India captain and the team management to organize a few practice games whenever they tour SENA Nations.
ALSO READ: India vs South Africa 2nd Test match was shortest in history of Test cricket; breaks several unwanted records
India is scheduled to travel to Australia for a four-Test series featuring the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024-end and Gavaskar has stressed the importance of practice matches, citing a busy year in Test cricket ahead in 2024 for India.
“The defeat in Centurion is pretty much a pattern for Indian teams touring the SENA countries, where they lose the first Test of the series and then play catch-up for the remainder of the series. The next big series overseas is exactly a year away in Australia, and if India needs to keep the winning momentum of the previous two tours there, then the planning must start now. The FTP suggests that India is playing two Tests against Bangladesh and three Tests against New Zealand at home from the end of September to early November,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
“The first Test of a five-match series in Australia will likely start in early December, so it does give the Indians time to play a couple if not more, first-class games before the series. Rohit said after the loss in Centurion that these games are no good because the host countries put up second-rate teams, and they get to play on slow pitches. Even if that is true, isn’t it better to get into a rhythm against such opposition than stay at home? Not only the batters can get some runs under their belts, but the bowlers can also go flat out and test themselves.”
Gavaskar’s plan for Team India:
As the Australia Test tentatively starts December first or second week, Gavaskar says BCCI and Team India can make the most out of the warm-up matches before the actual Test.
“With the relations between the two boards being good, it would make sense if the Indian cricket board wrote to its counterpart and asked for matches against their national champions or the ‘A’ team before the first Test,” HT pointed out Gavaskar.
“Then, in the week or so gap between the second and third Tests and between the fourth and fifth Tests, there could be another game so that the reserve players get to show their mettle. Those who haven’t gotten wickets or tons in the earlier Tests will also have an opportunity to get their form and rhythm back for the Tests to follow. The time to give in to what the seniors want is gone, for there have been no positive results. It’s time to simply think of the best for Indian cricket and not what suits a few individuals, however great they may be.”
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Published: 05 Jan 2024, 05:19 PM IST