Former India coach Greg Chappell has said that only one tour game
before the first cricket Test could leave the Indian team under-prepared for the
tough tour of Australia later this year.
India would get to play only one three-day tour match against Victoria at the
Junction Oval from December 20 before the traditional Boxing Day Test against
the world champions starting December 26.
However Chappell, who has accepted an invitation from new Australian
coach Tim Nielsen to work as an occasional consultant to the national team at
the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, said it was a reality of modern scheduling
that touring sides got limited time to adjust to the extra bounce and pace of
Australian pitches.
"The more time you've got the better, but programmes in
modern cricket just don't allow for it and international cricketers are used
to it," Chappell, who resigned as the Indian coach after the World Cup,
said.
Sri Lanka, who too will tour Australia later
this year, would also play just one game against Queensland before its first
Test in November.
"If you had a month and you could play four games, that
would be perfect, but the modern programmes don't allow for it. That's the way
it is, so the players just have to adjust as quickly as they can," Chappell
was quoteed as saying by 'The Age' today.
However, "it's not ideal," he added.
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