'Can't Get My Head Around,' Vaughan Urges India To Wake Up Ahead Of BGT

Micheal Vaughan slams Team India [Source: BCCI and TOI/X.com]Micheal Vaughan slams Team India [Source: BCCI and TOI/X.com]

Former England captain Michael Vaughan is puzzled by India’s decision to skip a warm-up game before their big showdown with Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With the series starting in Perth on November 22, Vaughan wonders how the Indian team will get into a "competitive mindset" without any match practice.

Unlike in past tours, India has chosen not to play a warm-up match against an Australian domestic side. Instead, they planned only an intra-squad game, which Vaughan finds hard to understand. 

"I can't get my head around a team like India only wanting to play an intra-squad game leading into a series against Australia in their own backyard," Vaughan told 'Fox Cricket'.

Vaughan questioned how India would prepare for a high-stakes series without any real competition.

"I just can't see how you get yourself in that competitive mindset of consequence by playing an intra-squad game. Time will tell," he said.

India even cancelled their planned three-day intra-squad match with their ‘A’ team and opted for centre-wicket training at Perth’s WACA ground. The Indian team believes that the WACA’s pitch, known for its bounce, closely resembles the conditions at Perth Stadium, so they’ve focused on giving their top-order batsmen more time at the crease.

"I'm surprised that this Indian side didn't want at least one game of cricket, and the WACA's the perfect venue because it's a similar pitch to Optus (Stadium), so you get used to the bounce," Vaughan added.

Vaughan Highlights The Shift In Mindset Of Modern Cricketers

Vaughan pointed out that while modern players might feel they get enough cricket throughout the year, he still likes to see teams put down a marker by playing in competitive conditions.

"These players have a different kind of mindset to what we had, whereas we probably needed more games," Vaughan continued. "They're playing 12 months of the year and get straight into it, but it'll be intriguing to see how both sets of players settle on that first day when they're playing the longer form,” further said.

"The modern player maybe believes that they don't need (tour matches). They think they get enough cricket throughout the year and they can react and just adapt. I just like to see teams win and stick a marker down," he added.

India Must Win 4 out of 5 Tests Against Australia

This series is more than just a regular Test series for India—it holds major implications for their World Test Championship (WTC) campaign. Right now, India are behind in the standings, and to make it to the WTC final, they must win four out of the five Tests against Australia. That’s a tough challenge, especially on Australian soil.

[Inputs from PTI]