3 reasons why the ongoing long break is a timely one for Team India

It has been a week since Team India went down to Australia by 209 runs in the final of the World Test Championship at The Oval in London.

Normally, given how games tend to come thick and fast, one would have expected them to have played their next international fixture by this time. Yet, it's a refreshing change with the team next slated to play only on July 12 as they embark upon a tour of the Caribbean.

They were supposed to host Afghanistan for a 3-match ODI rubber but that has been postponed for the moment. It is expected that the series will be played at some point in time ahead of the ODI World Cup.

A month's long break is a rarity for the Indian men's cricket team and while Ravichandran Ashwin is keeping himself engaged in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), the rest of his regular national colleagues aren't actively involved in any tournament at this point.

With this in mind, let's look at three reasons as to why this break is a timely one for the Indian team:

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#1 Loads of cricket on either side of it

It has been a gruelling few months for the Indian men's team. After the T20 World Cup and the tours of New Zealand and Bangladesh last year, a run of games at home saw them play the Kiwis and Sri Lanka before facing Australia in an intense Test and ODI series.

Post that, the IPL followed before a very short turnaround saw them in England for the WTC final. Once they depart for the Caribbean next month, they will be playing matches non-stop, with a scheduled T20I tour of Ireland, the Asia Cup and home rubbers against Australia and Afghanistan lined up ahead of the ODI World Cup.

There's very little breathing space between series and tournaments and squad rotation could be a possibility. Having said that, the toll that travel takes on the players also has to be accounted for and this break is as timely as they come to that end.

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#2 Good time to switch off after WTC heartbreak

With regards to the timing of this break, it possibly couldn't have come at a better juncture when you consider what transpired in the WTC final. Team India were brushed aside by the Australians and a defeat of that kind could have sapped some confidence out of a team which has already been under heavy scrutiny in recent times.

Call it a case of hindsight, but the result of the WTC final means that there is no better time for the players to switch off. While the counter-argument could be that the next series or tour would have aided them in shifting their attention towards that assignment, they might just turn up without the baggage of this result when they play next.

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#3 The Indian team will return mentally rejuvenated

Rohit Sharma and Co. could certainly return charged up and mentally fresh with a good time off from the sport.

Let's go back in time to 2014-15. After a hard-fought Test series in Australia which didn't go their way, India found themselves eliminated from the tri-series - also featuring England - that served as a prelude to the 50-over World Cup.

Deciding to not train for a week ahead of their first warmup fixture, the team took a break before turning up as a different unit that turbocharged their way to the semifinals of the tournament without dropping a game.

A break does wonders, particularly from the point of view of pressure and clarity. Ahead of some major assignments in the coming months, this period away from the game will certainly help them recharge their batteries mentally. It could just see them enjoy the sport a lot more and in turn, lead to better results.

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Do you think the Indian team needs longer breaks between series or tours like their overseas counterparts? Have your say in the comments section below!

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