'Who have never played in Australia...' - Sunil Gavaskar insist India to play warm-up game before BGT

Sunil Gavaskar, one of India’s legendary batters, wants the Indian team to play warm-up matches before the Border-Gavaskar five-match Test series against Australia. Ahead of the first match, there was an intra-squad warm-up against India A but it got cancelled. Hence Sunil Gavaskar wants the team to have a warm-up game to get ready for the big test.

After the Indian batsmen's performance in the three-match Test series against New Zealand at home was forgettable, Gavaskar responded. India can only qualify for the WTC 2025 final if they win four of the next five games after losing all three against the Kiwis.

According to Sunil Gavaskar, young players who have never played in Australia should get used to the environment. Young Indian players like Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, and Yashasvi Jaiswal may need some time to adjust to the pace and bounce of the Australian Test match. Going forward, Gavaskar suggested that India should prioritize playing regular bowling over throwdowns and practice as much as possible.

"I really do believe that they should have a warm-up game. In the gaps between Test matches, they really should have warm-up games. Not necessarily for the senior players. But for the junior players who have never played in Australia before. For Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, all these young batters.  For these youthful batters, like Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khans, and Yashasvi Jaiswal should have a warm-up match. Even against a state team like Queensland or an Australia A team,” Gavaskar told Indian Express that juniors need to be given the chance to acclimate to the bounce and surfaces in Australia.

India is in a risky position for the WTC Final

In the meantime, India is in a risky position in the World Test Championship (WTC) rankings following a humbling crushing defeat at home to New Zealand. The team captained by Rohit Sharma is now in second place with a 58.33% points percentage; they must now win four of their next five games to earn a position in the WTC final on their own. Therefore, India must defeat Australia in the next series to advance to their third straight final, which now appears like an impossible feat.