Off-colour Indians may get extra match before Aussie series

‘‘We will have no first-class match practice for the team before the Australia series’’, a top BCCI official, speaking from Kolkata, told this reporter. ‘‘There is a feeling that the boys need some time in the middle.’’

The original plan for the Australian tour was an opening match against the Board President’s XI, as suggested by the National selectors panel, but it was shelved. The Indian team or any of its members have not played a first-class match since the end of the Rawalpindi Test in April.

In fact, the only three players who have played a first-class match of any sort have been Zaheer Khan for Surrey, Ajit Agarkar for Middlesex and comeback man Dinesh Mongia for Lancashire. Mongia and Zaheer, though, will feature in the Irani Trophy match starting from Wednesday along with probable Test opener Aakash Chopra.

With the team really struggling to bat even 50 overs in a one-day match there are serious concerns with a high-profile series around the corner. Sehwag for instance is just one match away from returning to form, but needs a punching bag before getting into the Big Fight. So do Laxman and Yuvraj. If Sourav Ganguly — once again, defying conventional wisdom — wants Yuvraj and Sehwag to open against Australia, he’d need them to be at their sharpest.

Just how much good match practice does can be ascertained from how Laxman fought his way back into the team in 2001 series on the back of a strong domestic showing. He slammed 10 tons in the Ranji circuit, to head straight into the history books thereafter.

For the bowlers like Ajit Agarkar, Ashish Nehra and even Zaheer Khan this would mean one more chance to bowl some more overs to get some confidence back. The one-day game can be the most cruel to fast bowlers and can clearly knock out some confidence, a longish spell would get the fast men going. Unless of course, Agakar, Nehra and Zaheer break down yet again due to overload.