Don’t Waste Time in Hotels or Skip Practice: Gavaskar’s Advice to Team India

Legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar has urged India not to waste time in their hotel rooms after the early end of the pink ball Test and to use the two extra days to sweat it out in practice so that they can bounce back in the third match.

India’s weakness was completely exposed in their 10-wicket loss in the second Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. The match ended in less than two and a half days while Australia bounced back to level the five-match series 1-1.

Gavaskar told the official broadcaster, “Look at the remaining part of the series as a three-match series. Forget that it was a five-Test series. I would like the Indian team to use the next few days to practice.” He said, “This is very important. You cannot sit in your hotel room or wherever you are going because you have come here to play cricket.” “Gavaskar said, “You don’t have to practice the whole day. You can practice whatever time you want in the morning or afternoon. But don’t waste these days. If the Test match had lasted for five days, you would have been playing a Test match here. The third Test will start on December 14 and Gavaskar said the Indians should use the time in between to get back to their rhythm.”

“You have to give yourself more time to get back into rhythm because you have not been able to score runs. Your bowlers have not got rhythm. There are some other players as well who need playing time at the crease,” he said. Gavaskar said he does not believe in the idea of ​​optional practice sessions and the decision should be taken solely by the captain and coach, not the players.

“This optional practice session is something I don’t believe in. The decision of optional training should be taken by the captain and coach. The coach should say, ‘Hey, you have scored 150 runs, you don’t need to come for practice. Hey, you have bowled 40 overs in the match, you don’t need to come for practice’. Gavaskar said, “They should not be given the option. If you give this option to the players, many of them will say, ‘No, I will stay in my room’. And Indian cricket does not need this.’

He reminded the players that it is a privilege to play for India and they should do it wholeheartedly. He said, “Indian cricket needs people who are completely dedicated to their cause. It is an honor and a privilege to play for India.’ Gavaskar said, “I counted how many days they will be here. There are 57 days in Australia. If you leave five matches out of those 57 days, you are left with 32 days. Two matches for the Prime Minister’s XI. Thirty days they were supposed to take leave. They got an extra day off in Perth and now there are two days off in Adelaide.”

He said, “My request to them is to please come and practice. ” He called fast bowler Jaspreet Bumrah, captain Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli an exception and said that they are ‘experienced’ but the rest of the players should also work hard. Gavaskar said, “Bumrah does not need to practice. If Rohit and Virat do not practice, it is okay because they are experienced players. Let the rest of the players also practice. ”