Anil Kumble Surprised by BCCI's Decision to Skip Practice Match Ahead of Australia Series

India's 0-3 whitewash at the hands of New Zealand has raised concerns among cricketing legends about the team's preparation for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series in Australia. Anil Kumble, like fellow cricket great Sunil Gavaskar, questioned the lack of a practice match before the crucial five-match Test series starting on November 22 in Perth.

Kumble, speaking to JioCinema, expressed his surprise at the BCCI's decision to cancel the scheduled practice match against the touring India A side in Perth. He emphasized the importance of match simulation over net practice, especially for players touring Australia for the first time. “I’m a bit surprised that India don’t have a practice match going into the first Test because that would have been an ideal preparation,” said Kumble. “No matter how much you practice in the nets, going out in the middle and facing a few bowlers in the match is totally different.”

India’s recent loss to New Zealand marked the end of their 18-series unbeaten streak at home, and the team failed to chase down 147 in the third Test in Mumbai, losing by 25 runs. This defeat raised further questions about India's readiness for the challenges of the Australia tour, particularly as Rohit Sharma had previously confirmed that the team would not be playing any practice matches before the series opener.

In response, Rohit explained the team’s alternative plan of match simulation instead of a full practice game. "We are travelling with a squad of 19 players and only three days were allotted to us. I don’t know how much workload we can get in those three days in terms of getting everyone prepared,” said Rohit. "The management feels that we’d rather have a match simulation where batters can spend more time in the middle, and the bowlers can bowl a lot of balls."

Despite these alternative plans, Kumble’s comments underline the traditional view that match exposure, particularly on the specific conditions of an overseas tour, is essential for fine-tuning a team's preparations.