Virat Kohli agrees to Indian cricket team players' call for practice matches during Australia tour

Some of the senior members of the Indian cricket team will push for a practice game ahead of the Test series against Australia later this year, sources told Sportskeeda on Saturday. Sportskeeda had reported about how the Indian cricket team hasn’t been regularly playing practice games for the last two years or so before important Test series away from home.

But with the Covid-19 scuttling, all practice and training for the last few months, some of the senior members, including a few members of the coaching staff, are batting for practice games.

Sources said that the decision whether to play a practice game or not will rest on the Indian cricket team management and Virat Kohli would be taking the final call.

Virat Kohli to give nod to Indian cricket team's request

“By the look of it, Virat Kohli will have to say yes to the practice game before the four-match Test series against Australia. It’s slightly far off but this time the team is certain that a practice game would be important to prepare well for the Test series,” a team source told Sportskeeda on Saturday.

Last time the Indian cricket team played a practice game was in England. It was a four-day game marred by bad pitch preparation.

Even the last Test series against New Zealand was played without a practice game. Sources said that the team management was of the opinion that since the cricketers were already playing non-stop cricket what was the point of playing a few more in the name of practice?

With the coronavirus playing havoc and pushing the cricket schedule across the world into a tizzy like other sports disciplines, getting some practice matches would be a key component in the Australian tour.

Sources also said that even the board officials including President Sourav Ganguly won’t go against a practice game even when there would be pressure from other countries to organise series with India.

Already, Ganguly has said no to Australia’s request for five Test matches by saying that there are other formats of the game India would be playing in Australian and with an additional practice game, it would be a tight schedule once again for the Indian cricket team members.