No warmup, India to play Cape Town Test without match practice

NEWDELHI: India have opted out of the two-day warm-up match in Paarl ahead of the first Test against South Africa in Cape Town on January 5, according to a Cricket South Africa (CSA) media release. For a long time neither the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) nor the CSA could confirm if the match was happening. India have opted to train during that time.

With the unnecessarily long tour of Sri Lanka ending on December 24, India have been left with a very short break ahead of the South Africa tour. Moreover, India captain Virat Kohli is reportedly holding the reception for his wedding in Mumbai on December 26. Last heard, India were scheduled to leave on December 27 but the BCCI is yet to officially confirm that.

This comes a few days after Kohli had expressed disappointment over not getting enough time to prepare for the South Africa for the Sri Lanka tour that was accommodated at the last moment. Such was India’s obsession over the tour of South Africa that they had asked for lively pitches against Sri Lanka. Only the Eden Gardens pitch though, lived up to expectations.

The BCCI has been trying to implement a Future Tours Programme (FTP) that gives more space between tours and practice games ahead of marquee series. But opting out of the only practice game while South Africa come match-ready just days after playing a four-day Test against Zimbabwe makes little sense.

South Africa were reportedly keen on playing India in the Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests. But that didn’t come through too. The New Year’s Test traditionally starts on January 2 but was pushed back three days. India play six ODIS and three T20IS in February but going into the Test series without any match practice doesn’t bode well with the team’s ‘new-found’ philosophy.