Former Australia captain Michael Clarke can’t understand why the Pat Cummins-led team won’t be playing any training or tour matches ahead of the Border Gavascar Series, which starts in India on February 9.
Australia traveled to India for a four-test series, with the opening game scheduled for Nagpur, and Clark said not playing a tour game could have a “significant” impact on the outcome.
“That’s the part I don’t understand (not playing tour games),” Clarke was quoted as saying at Big Sports Breakfast on Tuesday.
“The first pre-Test no-tour game in India. Having played 115 Tests and scoring over 8,600 runs, Clarke said playing a 20-over or 50-over match in India is the longest format played. He added that it’s completely different from doing. Especially when countering spin.
“You need a completely different plan to what you have (been) playing in Australia, the way you start your innings against spin bowling, the way you play reverse swing, through the Australian summer we didn’t see any reverse swing, the games were over in two, three days,” he said.
Former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy too had recently expressed surprise at the side not playing a tour game, saying he was a “little bit worried”.
Clarke added that the probability of India playing at least two spinner in the four-Test series could well favour them, given that the Australians are predominantly playing quick bowlers.
“So reverse swing is going to play a big part (in India), all these batters that walk out and play bowlers bowling 130-140ks — there’s every chance India is going to play at least two spinners, so it’s a completely different game.” Australia will likely arrive in India in the middle of next week, giving them around seven days to tune up for the gruelling series, and Clarke felt that wouldn’t be enough.
“You need to bat in the best possible conditions (in India) because after that, if you haven’t grown up playing in those conditions, man it’s extremely difficult to start your innings. “And when you come in, you have to go on and put in big results because the first 20 runs in India are two innings. Oops, the ball that went forward in Australia and blocked easily for a spin. , can roll on the ground over there, can bounce and grab gloves.