18 August,2024 07:45 AM IST | Mumbai | Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar. Pic/PTI
The Indian cricket season begins with the Duleep Trophy starting in a couple of weeks' time and it's good to see that this time around all the internationals will be taking part in it. That is the one sure way the selectors will be able to see if the bowlers and batters are good enough to take the next step to the international level.
We have already seen how most under-19 players struggle to get their footing at the first-class level as the standard of the opposition is way higher than in the junior tournaments.
Similarly, those who shine in the State T20 leagues don't necessarily replicate their performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy or the IPL as the standards are much higher there. The franchises are finding out that forking crores for players shining in the State Premier leagues is not a great idea and a sheer waste of
money.
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The selectors have not picked the skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the Duleep Trophy so they will most likely go into the Bangladesh Test series without much match practice. While it's understandable that somebody like Jasprit Bumrah with his delicate back needs to be handled with care, the batters could have done with some batting time out in the middle. Once a player hits the mid-thirties in any sport, then regular competition will help him maintain the high standards he has set. When there's a longish gap then the muscle memory weakens somewhat and to get back to the high standards from earlier is not easy.
The news that the regular match for touring teams against the Australian Prime Minister's XI has been reduced to a 2-day game is a disappointing one. By all means, rest the seniors and let them not even travel to Canberra for the game but give the newer younger players a proper first-class game rather than a 2-day game which will be neither here nor there. After all, the team are going there to play cricket and not to take rest.
The Australians are thirsting for revenge and the Indians will have to be razor sharp to get a hat-trick of series wins there.
There's still time to change it to a 3-day game and give the younger inexperienced players a better chance to succeed against the World Test Champions. C'mon BCCI, you can do it.
Professional Management Group
