Last Update: June 01, 2023, 12:09 PM IST
Rohit Sharma (Left) and Virat Kohli (Picture Credit: TW/BCCI)
Barring Cheteshwar Pujara, every other member of the India Test squad for the WTC final was involved in IPL 2023 and will have to make a quick adjustment to red-ball cricket
Preparations for the final of the ICC World Test Championship are in full swing as India’s cricketers are reaching England in batches due to be involved in IPL 2023.
Barring Cheteshwar Pujara, almost every member of the India WTC team was a part of the T20 league which lasted for almost two months. And with the big final against Australia just a few days away, the players will have to adjust to their playing styles and also get used to the English weather.
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The great Sunil Gavaskar explains the difference in bat speed when playing T20 and Test cricket which will be crucial. Flat wickets and subcontinental conditions give batsmen free license to play with hammer and tongs but in England the ball swings and the pitch will assist the bowlers.
“I think they (Indian batsmen) are going to look at their bat speed. Gavaskar said, in T20 where the bat speed is very fast, in Test cricket where there has to be a lot of control over the bat speed, it is something that they have to do. star sports,
“He will need to play as late as possible in England to allow a bit of swing and not reach the ball which is often the mistake many people make playing on good pitches. You play the pitches, you play through the line, not necessarily the half volley, but in England those balls can move just a little bit. So I think as a batsman you have to look at those things. needed.”
Dukes balls will be used for the WTC final and Gavaskar has asked the Indian bowlers to stay full length to move the ball. “As a bowling unit also you have to bowl more full length deliveries with your new ball, so that the bowlers can get movement in the air as well as after pitching,” he added.
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The cold weather will also affect the players, who will need time to acclimatise. However, they will have to rely only on training sessions to get used to the conditions as no warm-up matches have been scheduled ahead of the final.
“I think the conditions in England are challenging because firstly we are used to playing with the sun at our back. When you are playing in England, often you are playing in conditions where there is no sun, It’s a bit overcast, the weather’s a bit chilly, so you wear a jumper sometimes. It’s something you know, the Indian players, the West Indies players and the Sri Lankan players aren’t really used to it, so it’s a bit damp Maybe, there might be a little light but you feel a little overwhelmed by it,” Gavaskar said.
He further added, “So, it is one thing and because in these conditions the ball does not swing in the air only after pitching which is not the case in India and hence there is swing in the air which can sometimes take you a while. Is.” Get used to it…and that’s why when you’re going overseas people usually suggest that you play two or three warm-up matches so that you get a feel for when you’re going to play a Test match. If so, what is there to be gained?
It will start from June 7 at The Oval in London.
