In an open appraisal made after India crushing loss to South Africa in the Centurion Test, Sunil Gavaskar expressed worries over the absence of warm-up matches between India and domestic sides. By an inning and thirty-two runs, the Proteas had won the game thanks to their dominance. In their one-inning total, South Africa amassed a dominant 408 as India battled, scoring 245 and 131.
One possible reason for India’s defeat, according to Sunil Gavaskarr, could have been the lack of warm-up matches. Even with heroic centuries from KL Rahul and a strong 76-run innings from Virat Kohli, the team still had a long way to go. In his analysis of India’s deficiencies in the game, experienced cricketer Vijay Gavaskar highlighted the team’s inadequate preparation as a cause of their loss.
“The explanation is simple: you weren’t involved in any games played here. It’s not a good idea to play test matches right away. Yes, India You sent a team.
Sunil Gavaskar stated on Star Sports that India A team ought to arrive prior to the visit.
“You have to come here and play practice matches. The joke about intra-squad is that if your fast bowlers bowled to your batters at a rapid pace, they would bowl bouncers instead of your batters because they wouldn’t want to hurt them,” he continued.
Team India engages in intrasquad drills in private.
Prior to the first Test match against South Africa on Boxing Day, the Indian squad simulated a match at the Tuks Oval in Pretoria, which is close to Supersport Park in Centurion. The coaching staff, headed by Rahul Dravid, chose to hold a private session, so the media were forced to watch from the sidelines.
This action kept a close lid on the events and served to protect their plans from curious parties. Though the Indian cricket squad is known to periodically implement this ‘Closed Door’ policy, they kept the limitation in place for the duration of the session, much like closed-door practices observed in world football settings during tactical training.