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India Cancel Intra-Squad Match Against India-A Before Border-Gavaskar Trophy; Reason Revealed

Debashis Sarangi

India cancel practice game vs India A [Source: PTI]India cancel practice game vs India A [Source: PTI]

In a significant development, India have decided to cancel the intra-squad match against India-A team ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. Led by Rohit Sharma, India will take on Australia in five Test matches Down Under, with the series opener commencing on the 22nd of this month in Perth. 

India Cancel Intra-Squad Games To Emphasise Net Sessions

Meanwhile, ahead of the high-voltage Test series, the senior Indian team has cancelled its intra-squad practice match against the A-team. According to the Press Trust of India (PTI), the Indian team management wants the players to get actively involved in the net practice sessions to get accustomed to the Australian conditions. 

In an intra-squad match, a batter can't get enough time to spend in the middle if he gets out cheaply. Considering the seam-friendly conditions in Perth, the Indian think tank wants its prominent batters to play as many deliveries as possible, a requirement the net sessions can fulfil better than an intra-squad game. 

Therefore, India's head coach Gautam Gambhir and some senior players want more time in the nets, which is why the intra-squad game won't be played as prescribed between November 15 and 17. 

Gaikwad-led India-A In A Commanding Position vs Australia A

Despite putting up a poor batting performance in the first innings, India A managed to restrict Australia A to 195 runs, thanks to Mukesh Kumar's six-wicket haul. In response, the visiting side claimed the driving seat in the match, with Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal frustrating the hosts with their clinical batting approach. At the time of writing, India A were 199 for two, securing a vital 111-run lead over their Aussie counterparts. 

(With Inputs From PTI)