After England drubbing, Ravi Shastri stresses on the importance of warm-up matches

He also put forth the issue of a tight schedule as a hindrance to playing those matches.

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Ravi Shastri
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Ravi Shastri. (Photo Source: Twitter)

India have had a couple of overseas tours this year thus far- South Africa and England. However, they have slumped to defeats on both instances. Albeit they have won in Johannesburg and Nottingham, they haven’t been at their best by any means. In their recently concluded Test series against the Three Lions, Virat Kohli and Co fought hard but lost four of five encounters.

The bowlers did reasonably well, but the batsmen blew hot and cot, something which didn’t help India’s cause. In the meantime, a number of cricketers have mentioned that the visiting team not playing practice matches is one of the reasons behind the batsmen’s poor show in overseas conditions. Ravi Shastri, the Indian head coach, has also been a recipient of severe criticism.

We have requested for a couple of games in Australia

Recently, the former cricketer remarked that the team isn’t against playing practice matches. India’s next overseas assignment is the four-match Test series against Australia from December and Shastri has expressed his desire for a couple of warm-up fixtures. However, he also put forth the issue of a tight schedule as a hindrance to playing those matches.

“Absolutely not. Why would we be? 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?” Shastri was quoted as saying in ESPNcricinfo.

“If you have two or three games against weaker sides we don’t mind because it is a game. 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,” he added.

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