‘This is sending mixed signals’ – Sunil Gavaskar fumes at Indian team for missing optional practice session
The cream of India’s first XI missed their optional practice session which left Sunil Gavaskar miffed, and he said that it was unacceptable from the Men in Blue. Ahead of their clash against arch-rival Pakistan, some of the key Indian players such as Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Yuzvendra Chahal, and KL Rahul missed the practice session.
Skipper Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, Fast bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Shami, all-rounders Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel, and travelling reserves Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Siraj were seen doing the drills with Rahul Dravid having a close watch on them.
“I don’t know what it tells you but it’s something that I don’t agree with. I don’t agree with it for the simple reason that, at the start of the tournament, when you had your match (warm-up match) washed out, when you have come to Melbourne and had a day off, and then the next day, you opt not to practise?” Gavaskar told India Today.
‘At the start of the tournament?’ – Gavaskar not impressed
He said giving an option to the players should only wrest in the hands of the captain and the coach. There should be strict protocols in place to ensure the players attend the practice sessions before a massive tournament like the World Cup. “At the end of the day, those who didn’t come out for practice can turn out to be match-winners. But you want a rhythm going as a team. You want to see a sense of purpose.
The Indian Team had some time to recharge their batteries because the game against New Zealand was washed out without a ball being bowled. “At the start of the tournament? In the middle of the tournament, you are on a roll, you have done really well, you give everybody a break. You go to a cinema, go wherever to take their mind off cricket. But at the start of the tournament, optional practice?
“Maybe on the eve of the match, they might all turn up (for practice). But that’s not it. I want to show that solidarity of purpose ‘look we want to win. Tomorrow if it rains, what happens? Your practice is gone,” Gavaskar added.
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