NEW DELHI: With India down to fifth in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, the team management and national selectors have been left coping with a congested schedule as they prepare for the two remaining Test assignments of the cycle - against New Zealand in November and the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against Australia at home beginning on January 21, 2027.
TOI understands that Test captain Shubman Gill has suggested that India's batters be given quality match practice on pitches offering a reasonable amount of turn against Australia 'A' in Puducherry this month. However, the BCCI has drawn up a schedule in which the second of the two four-day matches overlaps with the Irani Cup. At the same time, two separate India squads will be involved in the Asian Games and the three-match ODI series against the West Indies from late September to early October. The overlap leaves the selectors with little room to provide the Test players with adequate red-ball preparation against Australia 'A'.
"Indian batters have not been at their best against spin at home over the last two years. Gill suggested that if a few batters could be given game time against Australia 'A', with the pitches taking some turn during the course of the matches, it would help them prepare for the BGT. Obviously, the touring Australian 'A' team won't be given absolute rank turners with an eye on the BGT, but it wouldn't hurt if the pitches took some turn later in the match," a BCCI source said.
"The problem with the schedule is that there will be very few Test players available for the 'A' match. Otherwise, the Rest of India team for the Irani Cup will not be as strong as the selectors would like it to be, and that could affect the standard of the match," the source added.
The two four-day red-ball matches against Australia 'A' are scheduled for Sept 22-25 and Sept 29-Oct 2. The Irani Cup will be played in Srinagar from Oct 1-5. With several leading T20I players travelling for the Asian Games, the selectors may have to draw on their reserve pool for the three-match ODI series against the West Indies, beginning on Sept 27. It has also been learnt that VVS Laxman, who will serve as head coach at the Asian Games, has requested four additional net bowlers for the event amid concerns over accommodation arrangements for the contingent.
Nearly 60 players on NZ visa list as Test preparation is squeezed:
The scheduling problems have also spilled over into preparations for the New Zealand Tests. TOI has learnt that the board has drawn up a list of nearly 60 players for visa applications. India's tour begins with five T20Is on Oct 22. India 'A' will play three four-day, red-ball matches from Oct 24, overlapping with the five-match ODI series. The first Test is scheduled to begin just four days after the last ODI.
"The team management was asked to spell out its preparatory plans for the NZ series. Since so many matches have been packed into a tight schedule, a list of around 60 players was shared to get the visas ready. The selectors and the team management are in a difficult position as they work out a plan to prepare the players for the Test series," BCCI sources said.
Sources said the team management and selectors are keen to release key Test players from the ODI squad after the third ODI, giving them sufficient time to prepare for the Tests. Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir have been vocal about wanting at least 10 to 14 days of preparation before a marquee Test series.
"With the India 'A' red-ball series overlapping with the ODI series, some of the key Test players may have to be pressed into playing an India 'A' match before the ODIs, which would not be ideal preparation for the ODIs, especially with the World Cup barely a year away. The team management would have liked to field its full ODI side to prepare for the bouncy and seaming conditions in South Africa next year. But slipping up in this Test series could end India's WTC campaign," said a source.
Coordination gap within BCCI?
The BCCI's operations team usually charts the schedule in coordination with the CoE, the Indian team management and the selectors. Such coordination became standard when Rahul Dravid was in charge of India's developmental sides and the erstwhile National Cricket Academy, now the CoE. However, sources said the Indian team management was not involved in drawing up the season's fixtures. The BCCI had accommodated Gill's request for adequate preparation time while planning the recently concluded tour of Sri Lanka. But the current schedule has made it difficult for Gill and the team management to prepare for the New Zealand tour and the BGT.
