Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
Mumbai, match practice best practice after NZ debacle
India players, including Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravindra Jadeja, prioritize match time in domestic cricket to prepare for Tests, emphasizing professionalism.
Mumbai: In a departure from recent practice, many India players have begun to prioritise match time over customised personal net sessions as a way to prepare for Test cricket. The latest to join the queue is opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal who has made himself available for Mumbai’s next round of Ranji Trophy action in Jaipur starting November 1.
Before Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja put his hand up. The all-rounder is currently participating in the ongoing round of Ranji action in Rajkot for Saurashtra against Madhya Pradesh. Jadeja was kept out of the ODI team that played in the recently concluded series in Australia as the selectors preferred Axar Patel. Jaiswal was picked in the squad but had to warm the benches with the top order settled.
The national selectors as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir are keen after the debacle at home against New Zealand, last year, that as far as possible, players participate in domestic cricket between international commitments to stay well oiled.
“Sometimes it is difficult, but that is what professionalism is all about. Try and use the days to the best of their ability because we know that there are very quick turnarounds,” Gambhir recently said.
“But again, the guys who are just part of Test cricket, I think for them to prepare and play domestic cricket is very, very important. Rather than just going to NCA (COE) and working on their skills, I think the more they play for the Test matches, it is very important for the team.”
Rishabh Pant, returning from injury, and Sai Sudharsan will be playing in the two India A matches against South Africa A starting October 30. Dhruv Jurel, KL Rahul, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj will be playing in the second of the two four-day A matches in Bengaluru. Following the series win against West Indies, India will resume their quest for the World Test Championship final with the first of the two Tests against South Africa to be played on November 14 in Kolkata.
Jaiswal’s presence will bolster Mumbai’s chances as young opener Ayush Mhatre is away on India A duty. Mumbai’s next Ranji match will be the left-hander’s first following the controversy where he left the state for Goa after last season, before doing an about turn. The Mumbai Cricket Association welcomed him back after deliberations. Jaiswal featured in only one Ranji match last season, one in which his disciplinary record was called into question within the team.
