Ravi Shastri’s request for warm-up games evokes positive response from Cricket Australia

Indian head coach Ravi Shastri’s request for warm-up games ahead of India’s much-awaited away series against Australia has evoked a positive response from the latter’s cricket board.

Shastri rued the fact that the lack of practice games was one of the reasons for his team’s 1-4 loss to England in the Test series. He felt that India would be in a better position to tackle the Australian pacers if they had enough practice matches ahead of the Test series which gets underway on December 6.

“We are happy to discuss options with the BCCI, but we have not received any formal notification to increase the number of tour matches prior to their series commencing in Australia,” said a spokesperson from Cricket Australia, as quoted by The Indian Express.

Also Read: Ravi Shastri calls for the BCCI to organise warm-up games before Australia series

The only four-day match that India played in England was against Essex. It was a match loaded with controversy as it was reduced to a three-day affair with poor conditions of the outfield and the pitch.

On Thursday, Shastri said that he wasn’t against the idea of practice matches.

“Absolutely not. Why would we be? You can only see the results (in the England Tests). Every time after the second Test we have improved. You can still get better. But why can’t we be in that position in the first Test match?,” ESPN Cricinfo quoted him saying.

Before the Adelaide Test match, India and Australia are set to square up against each other in a three-match T20 series.

Shastri earlier had said that India had, “requested a couple of (warm-up) games in Australia before the Test series commenced”.

India and Australia would compete in a three-match T20 series, four Tests and four ODIs, beginning from November 21.