First Published Jan 31, 2023, 2:42 PM IST
Sydney: Australian vice-captain Steve Smith says there is no point in playing a practice match in India before the Test series. Smith was reacting to Aussie opener Usman Khawaja’s earlier statement that India will get pitches that support pace bowling in practice matches and pitches that support spin in actual matches.
Last time we came to India, we got a green pitch to play the practice match. So there is no relevance in such preparations. Instead we should practice with our spinners in the nets. “I think our decision not to play a practice match on the tour of India was the right one,” Smith told The Daily Telegraph.
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Aussie coach Andrew Macdonald had also said that playing the practice match in India is not relevant. Australia have not won a Test series in India since 2004-2005. The first Test of the India-Australia Test series will be played in Nagpur on the 9th of next month. There are four matches in the series. India had to win the last two series played in Australia. India were able to defeat the Aussies in their home country in the last Pampara, despite going without leading players.
Aussies squad for Test series against India: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.
Indian squad for first two Tests against Australia: Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (vc), Shubman Gill, C Pujara, V Kohli, S Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav.
Last Updated Jan 31, 2023, 2:42 PM IST