'No tour game for Australia, I don't understand'- Michael Clarke
Pat Cummins will lead Australia [Source: AP]
Currently embroiled in an off-field controversy, former Australian captain Michael Clarke has questioned Australia's strategy of not playing a tour match in India ahead of their crucial Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 series.
The Australian side under Pat Cummins will leave for India next week and get only a few days to acclimatise to the conditions.
Clarke, who has been India's nemesis in the past with the bat, said that playing in Indian conditions will vary by the day as the Test moves along.
Speaking to Big Sports Breakfast, the World Cup-winning captain stated that batters would need to spend time in the best conditions, or it could be challenging to score.
Here's what Clarke said
"That’s the part I don’t understand. The no tour game before the first Test in India. I hope I’m proven wrong but I think that is going to be significant. Batting in those conditions in one-day cricket and T20 cricket is one thing, batting in Indian conditions in Test cricket it is a completely different game,
"You need to bat in the best possible conditions (in India) because after that, if you haven’t grown up playing in those conditions, man it’s extremely difficult to start your innings."
The first Test will be played in Nagpur from February 9 and is expected to produce a sporting wicket.
Earlier, head coach Andrew McDonald expressed confidence in his side adapting to Indian conditions, maintaining that the lack of a tour game is to preserve players with a gruelling season ahead.
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