5 days Ago
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has expressed bemusement at India’s decision not to play a proper warm-up match ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, questioning whether the tourists have adequately prepared for the marquee series. Watch every ball of Australia v India LIVE & ad-break free during play in 4K on Kayo | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer > Earlier this month, the BCCI scrapped a three-day intra-squad game at the WACA, opting instead for net sessions and centre-wicket match simulation scenarios at the Perth venue.
It comes after India decided against a practice match against an Australian domestic side, a departure from their previous two tours Down Under. Four years ago, India played a three-day match against Australia A before the first Test in Adelaide, also contesting a four-day game against a Cricket Australia XI ahead of the 2018/19 campaign. Subsequently, India’s first competitive match of the tour will be the first Test against Australia at Perth Stadium, which gets underway on Friday.
“I can’t get my head around a team like India only wanting to play an intra-squad game leading into a series against Australia in their own backyard,” Vaughan told Fox Cricket. “I just can’t see how you get yourself in that competitive mindset of consequence by playing an intra-squad game. Time will tell.
“I’m surprised that this Indian side didn’t want at least one game of cricket, and the WACA’s the perfect venue because it’s a similar pitch to Optus (Stadium), so you get used to the bounce.” Australia didn’t play any warm-up matches ahead of last year’s Test tours of India and England, with scheduling and mistrust of local curators partly to blame. “These players have a different kind of mindset to what we had, whereas we probably needed more games,” Vaughan continued.
“They’re playing 12 months of the year and get straight into it, but it’ll be intriguing to see how both sets of players settle on that first day when they’re playing the longer form. “The modern player maybe believes that they don’t need (tour matches). They think they get enough cricket throughout the year and they can react and just adapt.
“I just like to see teams win and stick a marker down.” Vaughan revealed that England was also planning not to play any warm-up matches ahead of next summer’s Ashes campaign, but hoped Ben Stokes’ men battled Australia A or an equivalent domestic team before the first Test in Perth. Ahead of the 2010/11 Ashes, the only time England has won a Test series on Australian soil in the last 35 years, Andrew Strauss’ side prepared for the series with warm-up matches against Western Australia, South Australia and Australia A, winning two of the red-ball contests.
“My message (to England) is play the Aussie A team, make it a real competitive game,” Vaughan said. “I certainly will be sending a message back home to the UK that if you want to really win here and compete here, do what Andrew Strauss’ team did in 2010/11 and play three quality games, make sure that you get into the habit of winning, get used to the conditions and then put a marker down early on tour, before the Test match starts. “Looking at it through an English mindset, go and beat the Aussie A team, hammer them.
Set the marker down that you mean business. That’s what I would be doing if I was England.” The first Test between Australia and India gets underway at Perth Stadium on Friday at 1.
20pm AEDT..
