India to play extra warm-up game in Australia
The Indian cricket team will play two warm-up matches ahead of the Test series in Australia.
The Indian cricket team will play two warm-up matches ahead of the Test series in Australia.
Cricket Australia (CA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday confirmed there would be two warm-up games for the visitors before the first Test in Melbourne from December 26-30.
Earlier, India were only to play a four-day game ahead of the Boxing Day Test.
India are scheduled to play four Tests, two Twenty20 Internationals and a triangular ODI series involving Sri Lanka and hosts Australia.
The first tour game will be a two-day game against a CA Chairman's XI from December 15 at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.
The second will be a three-day game played from Dec 19-21 also against CA Chairman's XI at the same venue, according to a statement from the host board.
The BCCI had earlier written to CA to increase the number of warm-up games from one to two in the aftermath of India's poor show in England where they failed to register a single win.
India's 0-4 whitewash in the Test series was partly attributed to lack of warm-up matches.
Indian spin legend and former captain Anil Kumble has come out in favour of organising at least two practice matches before the Test series in Australia.
India had lost the Test series 1-2 last time they toured down under in 2008 but emerged winners of the ODI tri-series by beating Australia 2-0 in the best of three finals.