Team India faced a disappointing loss in the final of the World Test Championship earlier this month. Australia, led by Pat Cummins, inflicted a 209-run defeat on Rohit Sharma's men, who looked far from their best in a weak performance at The Oval. All members of the Indian squad bar Cheteshwar Pujara arrived in England shortly before the WTC Final – that too in different batches due to respective schedules in the 2023 Indian Premier League – and following the loss, the Indian team management was criticised for not allocating enough time to acclimatise to English conditions.
Pujara was the only player who had been playing in England for over a month heading into the final; he captained Sussex and produced consistent performances for the County side. However, the experience didn't help the Indian batter in the final, as he registered scores of 14 and 27 across the two innings.
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Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, in an interview with PTI, opened up on the debate that the Indian team was undercooked due to IPL. Ganguly, who is currently the Director of Cricket at Delhi Capitals, strongly opposed the theory as he gave the example of Ajinkya Rahane, who was India's top performer in the final (89 and 46).
“I don't agree with this theory. Ajinkya Rahane also played IPL and he played very well during IPL and World Test Championship final. So I don't believe in this theory. Some of the Australian boys (Cameron Green, David Warner), played well in IPL also and did well in World Test Championship,” Ganguly said.
{{/usCountry}}“I don't agree with this theory. Ajinkya Rahane also played IPL and he played very well during IPL and World Test Championship final. So I don't believe in this theory. Some of the Australian boys (Cameron Green, David Warner), played well in IPL also and did well in World Test Championship,” Ganguly said.
{{/usCountry}}The former BCCI president also added that there was enough time for the Indian players to adjust to the English conditions and this was not something that was happening for the first time to Indian cricketers.
“After IPL finished, there was enough time to acclimatise to Test cricket. They went to England and they played. It used to happen in the past. You played ODI cricket and you played Test cricket, things used to happen very, very quickly and so I don't believe it's an issue. So I believe that even if you play IPL, you should have the ability to adjust your technique and temperament and do well in a Test match,” Ganguly further said.
India will now return to action on July 12 when they take part in a two-Test series against West Indies in the Caribbean.