Sunil Gavaskar Tears Into BCCI Scheduling After South Africa Test Loss: "Season Is More Important"
With nine matches left to play in the current cycle, the team needs nothing less than a miracle to qualify for the final in 2027.
- Sunil Gavaskar attributed India's poor home performance to inadequate preparation compared to other teams
- "India is a team that is asked to go to other countries just about every year," Gavaskar said
- "I think that is the thing that India needs to be very strong about," he added
The recent series whitewash at the hands of South Africa has seen the Indian team drop down to the fifth spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. With nine matches left to play in the current cycle, the team needs nothing less than a miracle to qualify for the final in 2027. Speaking on the series loss to the Proteas, legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar addressed the stunning dip in form of the team at home. Gavaskar suggested that the lack of preperation is hurting the team badly.
"More than things going badly wrong from the Indian point of view, I think it's the preparation of both these teams that needs to be lauded. New Zealand played a series in Sri Lanka before coming to India, and got used to the weather conditions and the pitches. South Africa went to Pakistan in October before they came to India. Their A team was in India playing against India A. Some of those players were prepared, who then came into the Test matches. Their preparation was much more thorough than a lot of other teams," Gavaskar told India Today.
The former India captain highlighted that the scheduling also needs to be blamed for the team's lack of preparation. Gavaskar also blasted the BCCI for scheduling the Australia white-ball tour in the middle of two home Test series. "That is the way the market forces are. The market forces at the moment mean that India is a team that is asked to go to other countries just about every year because that boosts their TV revenue. See, last year India played 5 Test matches in Australia. And what happened this year again? We went to Australia in the middle of our home season," he added.
Gavaskar also urged the BCCI to avoid overseas bilaterals during India's home season so that the team remains accustomed to the conditions. "I think that is the thing that India needs to be very strong about, that Australia doesn't go anywhere during their home season. India should also say to other teams, 'Look, our season is more important. You want to play against us, you come to India'. That is what India needs to do. Playing the ODI series, or T20 series in Australia between the two Test series didn't make any sense, but that was a bilateral arrangement that had to be adhered to," said Gavaskar.
India Cricket Team
South Africa Cricket Team
Sunil Gavaskar