After a second successive defeat in the World Test Championship (WTC) final through a 209-run defeat to Australia, India captain Rohit Sharma has said he would have preferred to have 20-25 days in hand to prepare for the marquee final.
India had little time to acclimatise to conditions in England, having arrived in batches immediately after Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 ended in the wee hours of May 30. Barring Cheteshwar Pujara, who was playing County cricket for Sussex, the rest of the Indian cricketers had little time in hand to make the switch from playing against the white Kookaburra ball to the red Dukes ball.
“Ideally, yes, for a final like this, you need a lot of time to prepare yourself and that is what we did in the last time when we were here in England. We had good 25-30 days to prepare ourselves and you saw the result. We were 2-1 up until that game got called off. Ideally, we would want to have a good time in hand to prepare, and give enough rest to the bowlers.”
“Sometimes it can be tough because playing T20 cricket, you completely bowl different lengths, different lines, lot of change-ups and then Test cricket obviously requires a lot of discipline, hitting that area consistently and challenging the batsmen. But again Shami, Siraj, and Umesh they all are experienced. They obviously know how to prepare themselves and get ready for a game like this. But in an ideal scenario, yes, I would prefer if we have 20-25 days to prepare for a game like this,” said Rohit in the post-match press conference.
Asked if a WTC Final should be held in March, Rohit replied in the affirmative. “June is not the only month we should play the Final. It can be played at any time of the year. And anywhere in the world, not just in England. It can be played anywhere in the world.”
Rohit also called for the WTC Final to be played as a three-game series, adding to what Virat Kohli, who led India in the 2021 finale and veteran Australia opener David Warner had said previously.
“I would love that. But is there time for that? That’s the big question. But honestly, in a big event like this, you need to have fair opportunities for both teams. A three-match series would be nice, but it’s about finding that window where it can be fit in.”
“But I would love to have — in an event like this, you work hard for two years and then you have only one shot at it. So, it’s not really — you cannot get into that momentum that you need in Test cricket.”
“Test cricket is all about finding that rhythm, finding that momentum as well. So, I think, if in the next cycle, if it is possible, three-match series would be ideal.”
But Pat Cummins, Australia’s newest ICC trophy-winning captain, is okay with the current scenario.
“I think it’s fine. No qualms. I think ideally you’d have-50 match series but the Olympics have come down to one race to win a gold medal. AFL and NRL seasons have finals. That’s sport,” said Cummins.
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