'So they thought this was the best preparation...' - Former head coach takes a dig at team India for cancelling warm-up match ahead of 1st Test in Perth

Team India is ready to play the five-match Test series against Australia, starting with the first game in Perth. Before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024, they were seen playing an intra-squad simulation game. This game was conducted after the warm-up match against India A players was cancelled. Former head coach Ravi Shastri said that India shouldn't have cancelled the game as Australia is a tough opponent and will be extremely dangerous from the first game. 

"It’s always, ‘How strong will the opposition be?’ That’s the first question you ask (planning a tour game). I prefer playing matches, even if it’s a two-day game or a three-day game. With the time India had, they might have thought of that, but at the end of the day, it’s the team management who understands best. They know how tired the players are – they’ve just come off a series against New Zealand, they’ve played some one-day cricket as well, so they thought this was the best preparation … time will tell," said Shastri as quoted by The West Australian.

While Shubman Gill is almost out of the first game, Rohit Sharma's absence is also pretty much official now. Jasprit Bumrah is set to take his place as the captain until Rohit returns. This will be a challenging series for India, where they can't afford to make any mistakes. 

But I think at the start of the Test series, you might just see (Kohli) firing again: Ravi Shastri

Meanwhile, the talks about Virat Kohli's form haven't stopped yet, but Shastri has shown his confidence in the player. He said that if Kohli gets a good start to the series, he will convert it into something big. Australia is Kohli's favourite place to play, and he wouldn't let go of this opportunity this time. 

"You mellow with age, don’t you? But I think at the start of the Test series, you might just see (Kohli) firing again. He needs to be, I’d like to see him (like that) again. In the face, that’s Kohli. Come Australia, he’ll get his juices going," said Ravi Shastri.