Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar highlighted the technical adjustments Indian batsmen must make for the upcoming World Test Championship final. Gavaskar emphasized the importance of bat speed control, highlighting the transition from the fast-paced T20 format to the more controlled bat speed required in Test cricket. Speaking to Star Sports, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar noted the technical changes Indian batsmen would have to make to play in the World Championship finals.
He said: “I think they’re going to look at their bat speed. Coming from T20 where the bat speed is very high to Test cricket where the bat speeds need to have a lot more control, that’s something they’re going to have to do.”
He added: “They will have to play as late as possible in England to get the swing to work, not to reach for the ball, which many people often make the mistake of having played on good pitches. Wherever you are When you play on good pitches you tend to play through the line, not necessarily half volleys, but in England those deliveries can move just that little bit.
So I think those are the things you have to watch out for as a hitter. As a bowling unit, you also need to bowl a much longer length for your new ball, so that the bowlers can get the movement both in the air and after bowling.”
Sunil Gavaskar appreciated Cheteshwar Pujara, as he said: “The fact that he’s around means he’s also seen how the pitch behaved at The Oval. He may not have played at The Oval, and he may be in Sussex , not far from London, but he will have been watching what is happening and his input will be invaluable to the batting unit or indeed as far as the captain is concerned.”
Gavaskar said Pujara will have the captains there as far as the oval field is concerned.
“Don’t forget he’s also captained the team, so he’s definitely going to have some strategies in place as Steve Smith, the Australian, is his teammate at the moment,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.
Sunil Gavaskar further emphasized the English conditions and the challenges associated with them.
He said: “I think the English conditions are challenging because first of all we are used to playing with the sun on our backs. When you play in England you often play in conditions where there is no sun, it’s a little cloudy, and the weather is a little bit cooler, so you wear a jersey sometimes that’s something you know, the Indian player, West Indies players and Sri Lankan players are not really used to, so that may be a little being a downer, a little light, but you just feel a little bit burdened by that.”
He added: “So that’s one thing and because in these circumstances the ball tends to swing in the air not just after throwing which doesn’t happen in India and that’s why the swing in the air can sometimes make you a bit take time to get used to and that’s one reason why people generally recommend when you go abroad that maybe you should play two or three warm up games which gives you a better idea of what you can get when you get into a test match.”
India will face Australia in the final of the World Test Championship at The Oval cricket ground on June 7.
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