Have asked for warm-up games before the Australia Tests - Ravi Shastri

[Ankit_sharma03]

India head coach Ravi Shastri has revealed that the team management has requested the BCCI to arrange for "a couple" of warm-up matches ahead of their four-Test series in Australia, which begins on December 6. In an exclusive interview with ESPNcricinfo, Shastri also made it clear that he was leaving the UK in a "positive" frame of mind and had not received any communication from the board to review India's 4-1 series defeat in the Pataudi Trophy.

The debate over India's preparation ahead of major away Test series has raged over the last nine months. The team opted to skip the one-off warm-up match ahead of the three-Test series in South Africa in January in favour of high-intensity training sessions. In England, India played only one warm-up game, against an Essex second XI, ahead of the five-Test series. The visitors raised eyebrows by shortening the four-day match into a three-day affair.

In a conversation with the former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding on Sky Sports during the Test series in England, India captain Virat Kohli had elaborated on why he felt warm-up games weren't always useful. Oppositions in such games, he said, were often of poor quality, and pitches dissimilar to the ones prepared for the Test matches. In those circumstances, he felt intense practice sessions were often a better way to prepare.

Shastri has now said he is not against playing warm-up games.

"Absolutely not. Why would we be?" he asked. "You can only see the results (in the England Tests). Every time after the second Test we have improved. You can still get better. But why can't we be in that position in the first Test match?"

He however said it was not always possible to play as many warm-up matches as the team would like, given the choked international calendar.

"If you have two or three games against weaker sides we don't mind because it is a game," Shastri said. "But when you have a schedule as tight as this and when you have a memorandum of understanding that has already been formulated, with a choc-a-bloc calendar, there is very little you can do. Now, we have requested for a couple of (warm-up) games in Australia before the Test series. But is there space (to play those matches)? That is the question."

India start their Australia tour with a three-match T20I series, beginning on November 21. This leaves them with only a ten-day gap before the first Test.

"Ideally we would want two three- or four-day games before a Test series," Shastri said. "But do you have the time? For example, we have a T20 series in Australia preceding the Test series. There is a 10-day gap before the first Test. These are things that have been approved earlier. It is not in our control."

The 4-1 defeat in England has led numerous critics to question the role of India's support staff, including Shastri. He, however, said he had full faith that India's support staff could lead the team in the right direction.

 

Absolutely not," Shastri said, when asked if he was distracted by the criticism. "Last one to press the panic button when I see so many positives. I head back home with a very positive state of mind. I know exactly what we do. I know exactly and clearly where the team is heading - it is heading in the right direction.

"People are entitled to their opinions. As long as we know the job we are doing and we are honest to our jobs, as long as support staff we are helping players channelise their energies in the right direction, we are not worried about what critics say."

 

Link- http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/24663598/have-asked-warm-games-australia-tests-ravi-shastri

[saik]

I thought Bewda was going to be sacked after the Eng Series.

Edited September 13, 2018 by saik

[velu]

did he ask any such thing before england tests ?

[zen]

Better late than never

[Sgattick10]

Putting the blame on BCCI lol 

[Temujin Khaghan]

please dont play all the 16 members of the squad, the coaching staff, the massage guy and the bus driver in those warm up matches. please play the First XI in the first game and tinker it a bit in the second according to lack of form or testing bench strength. 

[zen]

2 minutes ago, Temujin Khaghan said:

please dont play all the 16 members of the squad, the coaching staff, the massage guy and the bus driver in those warm up matches. please play the First XI in the first game and tinker it a bit in the second according to lack of form or testing bench strength. 

i think everyone can play in warms up from the squad - 11 batsmen to bat and 10 bowlers to bowl if we like 

[Kothili]

1 hour ago, saik said:

I thought Bewda was going to be sacked after the Eng Series.

Edited 1 hour ago by saik

Ambani and Sachin along with old jackals Gavaskar and vengsarkar and other piss boys running BCCI. What did you expect?

[Temujin Khaghan]

7 hours ago, zen said:

i think everyone can play in warms up from the squad - 11 batsmen to bat and 10 bowlers to bowl if we like 

But earlier during pre-dhoni era, we used to treat them like proper firsts class games.

[Stan AF]

I have asked BCCl on how this moron still has a job!?

[Switchblade]

When asked by ESPN Cricinfo whether criticism takes his focus off the team, Shastri quickly replied 'no', before continuing to say, "The last one to press the panic button when I see so many positives. I head back home with a very positive state of mind. I know exactly what we do. I know exactly and clearly where the team is heading - it is heading in the right direction.

"People are entitled to their opinions. As long as we know the job we are doing and we are honest to our jobs, as long as support staff we are helping players channelise their energies in the right direction, we are not worried about what critics say."

[nevada]

After his bold claims pre-series fell flat on their face, bevda has resorted to politispeak - spewing utter garbage without any regard whatsoever for facts. How can this loser say the team is heading in the right direction after this humiliating series loss? He needs to realize that unlike him, the rest of the world doesn't live most of their life sharaab ke nashe mein.

[Lannister]

This cuckold loser is only good at holding candles to Kohli. Please grow some balls and take control of the team or gtfo. 

[rkt.india]

must have at least 3 3-day warm-up games and take them seriously and play with XI players and rotate the XI, try everyone, in three games.

Edited September 14, 2018 by rkt.india

[Switchblade]

Just now, rkt.india said:

must have at least 3 2-day warm-up games and take the seriously and play with XI players and rotate the XI, try everyone, in three games.

Can’t see that happening as the first test is in 10 days times if you are talking about the practise games to be played with in 10 days before first test match.

[rkt.india]

7 minutes ago, Switchblade said:

Can’t see that happening as the first test is in 10 days times if you are talking about the practise games to be played with in 10 days before first test match.

can easily play 2 2-day games with playing different players in both games.

[Clarke]

Wow, sounds like an improvement over the mental block nonsense. 

[Switchblade]

34 minutes ago, rkt.india said:

can easily play 2 2-day games with playing different players in both games.

The selection of the squad needs to be correct as well for Australia hope Dhawan Rahane or Shami are not there.

[Deleted_User_1]

Kuch nahin hone wale. Bewda and the Bubble Boy has taken firm grip over the BCCI babus. Doomsday ahead. Never underestimate the power of a sharabi auss in heat!  Who needs Nimrata Kaur when Bewda has Bubbloo Beta?

 

 

Edited September 14, 2018 by dandaroy

[UrmiSinhaRay]

Australia jakar ye log Maxwell ko Sehwag, Finch ko Sachin aur Paine ko Dhoni bana dega

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