“Fatigue? There is nothing like getting worn out; it is mind over body, and the Indian cricket team led by Rohit Sharma is match-fit for the big stage like the World Test Championship Final,” is what the former chairman of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI ) selection committee, MSK Prasad, opines positively about the team.
Players mentally prepared
The players have played 14 matches, which have been the preparatory camp for them, and the Indian Premier League was the right stage wherein they tuned themselves and will not take the toll on the team, said Prasad while talking to the Free Press Journal on Sunday from Hyderabad, three days (June 7) before they begin the summit clash against Australians at The Oval in England.
“Look at Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Suraj Mohammad, do you think they show any glimpses of tiredness? Questioned Prasad about the 45 days of the IPL season. “They are all mentally prepared, and they will perform well. Conditions in England are different, and the bowlers, especially the seamers, will love to bowl in such conditions,” added the retired Indian cricketer.
India better prepared than the last edition of the WTC
Prasad is sure that India has learned its lessons from their debacle in the World Test Championship (WTC) final two years ago and will not be going in with a predetermined XI.
“It all depends on conditions at The Oval. We don’t know how they will be after five days, so we should not fix our minds. Understand the conditions and follow your instincts,” the former Indian wicketkeeper said.
The first batch of Indian players, along with some of India's coaching staff, reached London on May 24 to begin their preparations for the WTC Final. The second batch of cricketers left for England on May 28, with the final bunch of players, such as GT's Shubman Gill and Mohammed Shami, leaving on May 30 after the IPL. They are at an unknown county group, sporting the new Adidas training kits.
“They are all set for the bigger encounter, and they will come triumphant,” concluded Prasad, who led the selection of the Indian team for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
No warm up matches
Meanwhile, India will not play any warm-up matches before facing Australia on June 7. Instead, the BCCI has decided that the team will have intrasquad games to help them prepare for the fixture.
And the reason why no warm-up games have been planned is because the full squad assembled on June 1, which is too late before they face the Aussies.
